Sunset Slice
by SunnyGirl202
Summary: A collection of one-shot RufTi stories set in various places in the timeline.
1. Honeybee Inn

_Hi Folks,_

 _And a happy new year to you too! I've stumbled on some more RufTi since finishing my last story and I thought, yeah, I'd still like to write some more. But this time they'll only be one shot pieces ranging from ratings K-M. Some will also be in the canon of my_ Anxiety _story, which will be indicated on the_ 'premise' _portion of each chapter. I don't think I have the time or patience to write an ongoing story right now. Anyway, enjoy. If you have a prompt you would like for me to write (and a rating K-M), leave it in the review. Thanks!_

* * *

Premise: Tifa has infiltrated Don Corneo's mansion with the plan to get information. However, the plan gets derailed when an unexpected visitor wants her company.

Rating: M

Tifa Lockhart wanted to laugh at how easy it was to gain access to Don Corneo's mansion. When Barrett and she had formulated the plan, they'd expected it to take a lot long. But no, she simply walked up to the front door and inquired about a job and she was immediately brought in, sized for a dress and made up to look like a 'bride' for the man. When she emerged into the ladies' dressing room, numerous girls dressed in cute bee outfits immediately took notice of her. Some glances were full of disdain, but others looked at her with pity, knowing the fate that awaited the young woman.

"Let me fix up her hair," one of them led her over to her to the makeup counter.

Tifa looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was slightly mussed from the carriage ride there. She also had a good chance to look at her dress. It was so _tight_ , like a second skin. This wasn't her look at all. She suddenly felt so trapped and longed for her skirt and shirt. She sighed. She already talked a big game to her teammates about this mission, she couldn't back down. But my, did she look a sight. She couldn't wait to go back to Cloud looking like _this._ "Thank you," Tifa said to the girl fixing up her hair.

"Not a problem. The last thing you want is for the Don to be upset with his bride's appearance," she replied.

"What's he like?"

She sighed and whispered in her ear, "A gross pig that sweats a lot and has no respect for women." She leaned back up and resumed brushing Tifa's hair. "But he will pay you well for tonight if he selects you, so just keep up a brave front until it's all over."

Tifa shrugged. She knew the Don wasn't going to get very far, but she didn't say anything. "Thanks for the heads up," she said.

The woman finished up. "You should go and walk around. The Don thinks favorably of women that like to show themselves off before they retire for the night."

Tifa nodded and stood up. Suddenly, there was a large scrambling in the dressing room. The girls were going wild, quickly finishing their prep work and moving toward the door. "What's going on?"

They could hear some key words and name among the buzz of the women. The woman that fixed Tifa's hair gasped. "The Vice President is here! Without notice!" She quickly stepped beside Tifa and fixed her makeup more heavily.

"The Vice President?" Tifa knew that Shinra of course had a Vice President, but she didn't know who he was.

"Yes, President Shinra's son, Rufus. Sometimes he comes by, but he usually gives a few days notice." She frantically brushed on more rouge on her cheek.

Tifa didn't know the President had a son. All of her team's efforts were focused on his father. "I see. Why are you freaking out?"

She glanced at Tifa over her shoulder and then went back to the mirror. "That's right, you're new here. Vice President Shinra is gorgeous! He's very generous and always tips well. Also, when a girl is selected, he doesn't even _do_ anything to them. He just has them wait on him while he reads and drinks wine. So when he comes, everyone vies to be his choice..."

Tifa tilted her head in thought, wondering what kind of person he was. _'Probably an ingrate like his father,'_ she thought. "Interesting. Why would he come to a place like this to just read?"

The woman scoffed. "Who cares? If he wants to come and dump a boatload of money on a girl just to stand next to him while he has his nose buried in a book, don't question it. The last girl that waited on him made enough money to move out of the slums and rent a house in Kalm."

"Sounds like a nice guy," she responded. _'Probably does horrendous things and pays her for her silence.'_

"Yeah very nice. You should go out there too. Though Rufus doesn't select 'bride' material, best not upset the Don in the company of the Vice President."

"Thanks. I guess I'll…see you around." Tifa turned heel and walked into the main foyer. She could see a crowed of security personnel escorting someone to an upstairs bedroom.

"How nice to see you Mr. Vice President. Thank you for coming." An older woman dressed in a gaudy gold and pink kimono came in to greet him. Tifa tried to glimpse him through the crowd, but could only see patches of white. In reality she knew she should've laid low, considering Don Corneo was her target, not him. But after the conversation she had with the other woman, she was definitely curious, despite the fact she'd only want to strangle him and send a message to his awful company.

She noticed the other girls that were standing at attention to him started to move around and serve the people that were with him. Tifa, glancing at other women who weren't in bee uniforms but custom dresses like her, decided to just move around. She was told about what was expected of her when she was getting fitted into her dress. While her absence of a bee uniform made it clear to other patrons that she wasn't for sale that night, she was still instructed to walk around and mingle with the other patrons.

First she had to be selected in the preliminary rounds, among the other girls walking around, then once more in the final selection lineup. The Don was on the second story overlooking the crowd of women and patrons beneath him. Looking around, Tifa felt nervous. The other 'brides' were absolutely stunning, like movie stars, with their perfectly engineered bodies and faces. What's more, they were so at ease casually flirting with complete strangers. Tifa tried her best to keep from talking much and found herself subconsciously walking toward the crowd of personnel escorting the Vice President around. She saw the crowd around him dissipate and almost glimpsed the mysterious man until she was forcefully turned around by a woman in a bee uniform holding a tray. "Boss wants you to know you're up for preliminary selection. Be upstairs in his office by nine fifty."

Tifa nodded, relieved that the first phase was cleared. She turned around again and tried to find the Vice President again, but only glimpsed him from behind. He had lovely flaxen hair, and he was tall. Much taller than Cloud by at least half a foot. When Tifa was informed of a bookish man that drank wine in brothels, she pictured someone a lot more unfavorable. But even from the back, he still commanded authority. She saw that he was holding a glass of champagne and was pointing behind him with thumb over his shoulder. Suddenly she saw the eyes of the men in front of Shinra looking up at her. Nervously, she darted away and lost herself in the crowd once more. Did they know who she was?

They didn't follow her aggressively, she realized, so she was content in moving around constantly trying to avoid them. She waited until it was almost time for her to go upstairs. Cautiously, she moved toward the ornate steps and saw two others approaching the main doors from the staircase on the other side of the foyer. There were two women one dressed in purple and the other red. She approached them and as she neared them, she realized she saw Cloud! Dressed as a woman! _With a beautiful woman holding onto his arm!_

"Tifa!" he said as the two of them met in the center. "We've been looking for you!" He eyed her up and down. "You look nice." He jerked his head to the woman. "This is Aerith."

"Hi," she smiled in a friendly manner. "Cloud has done a great job protecting me, so I had to return the favor by helping him help you."

"Hey I thought we agreed on a date," he laughed. "Not star in a drag show." The two of them giggled and Tifa tried her best to hide her embarrassment. "So shall we go in?"

"He's definitely going to pick you, Tifa. You look spectacular."

Tifa swallowed hard. "Yeah, thanks." The three moved toward the door but before it was to open, an older woman in the kimono approached them.

"Wait! Wait you three!" She caught up with them and grabbed Tifa by the arm. "The Vice President has requested your company tonight."

Tifa's heart began to race as a flood of emotions went through her. This wasn't part of the plan, though she couldn't help but feel curious about the man that requested her company. She looked at Cloud and the stranger he was with.

"Go on," said Cloud. "We can handle Corneo." He gave her hard look as if to say her indecisiveness would blow their cover.

Tifa nodded and allowed the woman to lead her to the adjacent door. The room led into a long hallway and in its silence, the older woman spoke to her. "You're very lucky. Rufus never picks the 'brides.' What did you say to him?"

"I… I didn't say anything. I was hoping he didn't notice me."

"Well he did. Boy did he ever!" she cackled. "They tried telling him that you were off limits, but…well, we can't exactly say _no_ to the Vice President. Just do as he says and you'll come out a wealthy woman. He'll probably barely talk to you anyway."

They came to the large double doors. She opened them up for Tifa and she found herself thrust into a large library room lit only by a large fireplace, but still illuminated well. She saw there was a large chair in which the Vice President sat, a large book concealing his face, a glass of red wine in his hand. He moved the book away to see the person who had just entered. Tifa felt her stomach drop. She felt so exposed under the gaze of his hypnotic blue eyes. He had the perfect face: youthful and stern, exuding power from every expression. _'So this is what the spawn of an evil man looks like. Lust incarnate,'_ she thought to herself.

Tifa bit her lip, unsure of what to do next. Rufus placed the book in his lap and beckoned her to approach him with his free hand as he finished his wine from the other. _"Do as he says"_ Tifa remembered the woman say. She approached him hesitantly. "Why so nervous?" his deep, silky voice came out.

"I….I just never did anything like this before," she responded.

He smirked and nodded. "Do you know how to pour from a bottle?"

Tifa nodded. "Of course."

"I'd like another glass of wine. Maybe a dry white."

Tifa looked at a nearby table with multiple bottles of wine. She looked at the various labels and selected a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that was sitting in a bucket of ice. She picked up the nearby wine opener and was grateful for her previous experience at the bar. She opened the bottle and picked up a clean glass bringing them over. She saw that Rufus had gone back to reading his book. She gently took his empty glass and replaced it with a clean one. "Don't want to use the same glass as a red for your white." She artfully poured the glass, letting muscle memory take over.

Rufus sniffed the wine and swirled his glass and peeked at her from behind the book. "Hmm, you're the first to change the glass and pick the correct wine." That seemed to settle Tifa a bit. "Do you drink wine?"

"Sometimes. I prefer the sweet reds."

"What kind of sweet reds?"

"Cabernet Franc or maybe a Shiraz."

Rufus put his book down in his lap once more and tilted his head. "You don't say. You certainly know your stuff. Very impressive." Tifa stiffened once more. The Vice President was _complimenting_ her. She had surmised that he put up a nice front, but not in a complimentary sort of way. She gave him a smile and curt nod in response. "Relax, madam. Why don't you pour yourself a glass of whatever you want and have a seat over there," he gestured toward the table. "I'll call on you if you're needed."

Tifa hastily made her way back to the table with the empty wine glass in hand. She saw that there were no empty glasses left on the table, and decided to drink from the one that was in her hand. She glanced at the labels more intently this time and was shocked to see the premium wines she had at her disposal. Not that she was _surprised_ but she never thought she'd hold such valuable vintages in her life. She wasn't comfortable sipping such exquisite wine, but she didn't want to insult her patron for the evening, so she poured herself a small pour and began to sip quietly. It tasted divine to her, as if it was sin for someone of her status to enjoy it. It was quite generous for Rufus to offer this to her, and it was getting increasingly difficult to dislike him.

The uncomfortable silence, only broken by the slight crackling of the fireplace and the occasional wine pour, rang in Tifa's ears. She almost wished she could fill the empty time with conversation. She wondered how Cloud and that woman, Aerith, were doing with Don Corneo. Cloud didn't even seem the slightest disturbed at Tifa being brought to Rufus, not while he was protecting Aerith. Tifa sighed, more audibly than she intended.

"Something wrong?" Rufus' voice made her almost jump out of her skin.

"N-no sir!"

"Are you bored here?"

"Of course not!" She nervously tried to find the right words. "Are you?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "No, not with such a fascinating book in my hand and a lovely woman in my company."

Tifa blushed. "Oh…thank you." She looked away shyly and nervously gulped a large amount of wine.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss…."

"Candy." She blurted out, using the first fake name that came to mind.

He tilted his head back. "Miss Candy, yes." Tifa felt her heart pounding as she saw Rufus put his book on the side table, anxious that his attention would be on her now.

A dull haze began to cloud her senses as she felt the large gulp of alcohol take effect. "So you come here just to read?"

Rufus swirled his glass once again and held a relaxed expression. "Yes. I hardly get time to myself. Reading itself is a luxury for me. I've been holed up in Junon these past few years but I take trips out here every so often to keep up appearances that I'm….normal, I guess."

"So you just read while you're here?"

"Is this a question game?"

Tifa shook her head quickly. "No sir! Forgive me, I shouldn't pry."

He chuckled. "You certainly are sprightly. All the other women that come in here are so robotic." Tifa once again chocked down her wine, finishing the glass. Rufus noticed this and got up to pick up the bottle.

Tifa bolted upright and ran for him. "No sir, let me get that!"

He gently held a flat palm against her shoulder, stopping her. "Allow me." He poured her a glass and then refilled his, gaze not leaving Tifa's the entire time. He went back to sit at his chair, leaving Tifa standing there, stunned. "If it's a question game you want, then let's play. Truth or Dare, a young classic."

Tifa wasn't sure what to do, so she remained standing and leaned on one foot, hip out to the left. "Sure. Why don't you start?"

He smiled, making Tifa's heart leap. "Sure. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

He smirked and swirled his glass once more. "What is your _real_ name?"

Tifa's heart raced, fearing her cover had been blown. "Wh-what do you mean?"

He chuckled. "Oh come now, you don't honestly think I'd buy Candy as a real name do you? Do you know how many 'Candys' I've come across on my visits here?"

Tifa sighed and couldn't help but laugh. "It's Tifa."

"That's better." He grinned. "Your turn."

"Okay, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Playing it safe are you?" Tifa felt the effects of the wine make her more bold.

Rufus cocked and eyebrow. "I believe it is my choice."

Tifa leaned back on her heels, feeling more comfortable with his laid back demeanor. "Why did you pick me tonight?"

Rufus paused for a moment. "Well, truth be told, you didn't look like you belonged here. Most of the women Corneo picks up are more brazen and coy. You seemed to be reserved. And you said when you got here, you've never done this before. So it seems I was correct."

Tifa huffed. "Is that so? So you picked me from lack of experience?"

"I just….thought if I could keep someone from falling into this lifestyle, I'd be doing good by _someone_."

Tifa felt taken aback. _'So he felt the need to_ save _me? That's so…kind.'_

"Why are you sitting all the way over there?" he held his hand out to here. "Come."

Tifa walked to his chair and sat on the floor next it, resting her chin on the armrest. She wanted to keep her distance but felt the need to be near him. "Truth or dare?"

Rufus leaned on the opposite armrest and looked down on her, a small haze misting his eyes. "Dare."

Tifa pondered a moment. "I dare you to drink the rest of that bottle you just poured." She mentally slapped herself, that was such a silly dare. She could've dared him to take his shirt off. _'No! He's the bad guy! Remember?'_ Tifa's inner voice shouted.

Rufus merely shrugged, stood up, walked over to the bottle and downed the rest, to Tifa's astonishment. He put the bottle down, and returned to the chair, resuming the sipping of his current glass and wiping the side of his mouth. "That was easy." He covered his mouth with his fist and tried to conceal a belch.

Tifa giggled. "You're certainly full of surprises."

Rufus smiled at her in return. It made her heart skip. For a brief moment, Tifa felt as if she was hanging out with a friend she'd known for years, and she completely comfortable. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What do you plan on doing with the money you make here tonight?"

Tifa bit her lip. She hadn't the slightest intention of leaving this mansion with any money. "Nothing. I….I don't want your money."

He gave her a blank stare. "I beg your pardon."

Tifa shrugged. "I don't want it."

"Why are you in such a place if you didn't want to make money?"

"Experience I guess," she lied. "I know that's not the answer you were wanting. But it's the truth. I don't want any money that you'll give me. And I won't take it. The premium wine is good enough for me." She held up her glass.

"That's an interesting answer to say the least."

"Well if you feel you've been cheated from a response, why don't you go again?"

"Alright. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to give me a performance. Right now."

Tifa leaned back. She wasn't expecting that, but the haze of the wine allowed her to keep her composure. "You have to dare me to do that?"

"It's okay if you wish to refuse. If you've never done this before I can understand if you're too frightened or inadequate in your abilities."

Tifa huffed and stood up in front of him. "Oh you think you're _so_ smart?"

Rufus laughed breathily. "Aren't I?" He gasped, Tifa's right knee panted in between his legs, left leg extended out, giving her leverage to push her bosom into Rufus' chest. He went wide eyed, looking up at Tifa in disbelief.

 _'He really didn't think I'd do it…'_ she thought. She put both of her hands on his face; a bewildered Rufus was not able to do anything but accept. She rubbed the sides of his face and kissed his forehead. He shuddered beneath her, shy and untried before the lusty brunette on top of him. She pulled away from him, looking down on his pale face with her wide ruby eyes. "What do you want?" she asked, panting.

"Y-…you…" he managed to choke out.

Tifa smirked but she paused. A thick silence dragged out between them, until he pulled her into a kiss. A sloppy, drunken kiss, but passionate all the same. _'I bet Cloud would kiss her the same way,'_ Tifa thought disgusted. No. He had had his chance to be bewitched by her presence and he didn't see what was right in front of him. Rufus saw it. He was trembling beneath her, lost to her mercy. She ground her thigh up against his hard length. She knew the signs, men that would tremble at the sight of a pretty face and wonton behavior.

Rufus ground into the touch and became a melted, willful mess. Tifa shimmied down, and clumsily found the zipper. She wondered how far she would take this. She too was inexperienced but she was attracted to the power she had over this man. She opened his pants and freed his arousal. He quivered at the slightest touch. She was stunned. The second most powerful man _in the world,_ was at her mercy. His hypnotic eyes looked down on her in disbelief. She breathed deep and took him in her mouth. She was unsure of what to do, but it seemed that even her most subtle, accidental movements made him bend to her will as he trembled and moaned.

He rocked his hips to the left and right, not knowing how to handle her movements. Occasionally he thrust too deep into her throat, causing her to gag, her eyes to tear up, but she kept going. She released him with a soft pop. A thick desirous vapor misting their sight. He dragged her onto his lap, swinging her legs on either side of his hips. He slid his fingers beneath her skirt and Tifa felt their slick movements from outside of her panties, their easy movements telling her how ready she was. Was she really willing to go through with this? She didn't come here to have sex with a man, she came her for information. But _oh_ when she felt him shove her panties aside and felt those sinful digits slip inside of her, she lost all semblance of control.

With his member still freed and her canal so slick and ready, she nestled her hips atop him, allowing him to take the reins. He aligned their bodies perfectly and plunged himself into her silken petals. She knew this wasn't right. She felt the rigid organ inside of her, thrusting up and down and she rode the waves of euphoria. She wanted to pull his hair and punch him, but at the same time she wanted him to like her, to _beg_ her. And beg he did. Rufus Shinra, the son of the man she detested the most in this world, was writhing beneath her, demanding that she never stop.

Yes. Rufus Shinra was inside of her, and she _liked_ it. She grinded beneath him, a sweaty mess of tangled limbs and kisses moved on that large chair until Tifa felt something ignite within her. A whirlpool of white heat and burning ardor welled in her chest and released into the air, followed by a warm spurting from Rufus' cock into her depth. Tifa breathed and ensnared his mouth to hers, biting his lower lip. Rufus gave her a gasp and moan of approval.

Rufus kissed the top of her sweat covered head. He embraced her closely and peppered kisses along her jaw and neck. Tifa, suddenly feeling very exposed despite the dark and her clothing, detached herself from Rufus. "I…I have to…" she said. He looked bewildered, his expression wondering why she was leaving. She turned toward the door, but ran back to kiss him once more on the cheek, thanking him for their time together. She ran down a back hallway and eventually met up with Cloud and Aerith.

"We have to get back to Sector Seven, now!" Cloud shouted.

Tifa nodded. "Let's go," she said simply.

As Aerith and Tifa followed behind Cloud as they made their way back to their base, Aerith looked at Tifa up and down. "Hey, what happened back there?" she asked.

"Nothing!" she said almost too quickly. "Nothing at all, why do you ask?"

"Because your hair and lipstick are a total mess and you're all sweaty, and-" Aerith's eyes went wide and her cheeks turned red.

"Please don't tell Cloud!" she hissed desperately.

Aerith gave her a soft look of understanding. "I won't."

The two exchanged a look of deep understanding despite not knowing each other for more than an hour. An understanding that would bond them more than either ever could have imagined.


	2. All Hail the New President

Prompt: Tifa punches Rufus as requested by Emerial.

And yes, you are correct, they did totally skip a turn for Rufus. While I can chock it up to a horrid oversight on my part, I think I'll just say they were both too drunk to care. Rufus was too into Tifa's body or whatevs. We'll go with that. It's a much more entertaining explanation. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

I had fun with this one. It's short but hopefully you'll enjoy the punchline. Heh. Keep these prompts coming!

Rating: K+

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Rufus Shinra all but leapt into the helicopter the moment the news reached him of his father's demise. Finally, after many years of waiting and plotting, his father was murdered while Rufus was thousands of miles away, making him completely blameless. He was certain he'd have to wait at least another year or so. But it seemed that destiny had other plans for him. He had been preparing his acceptance speech in his head for years and now he was bursting at the seams, ready to deliver to someone who hadn't heard it. His Turks had no doubt known the gist of it, and now soon he would have a fresh set of ears upon which to deliver it.

After an interminable four hour long flight, he finally saw the Shinra building coming into view. _'Five long years…'_ he thought.

"I just got a report that it was Sephiroth," said Tseng, hanging up his phone.

Rufus cocked an eyebrow. "That can't be. Sephiroth has been dead for years."

"I'm just relaying what I've been told sir."

Rufus gave him a curt nod. That would certainly complicate things once he assumed power, but it did little to dampen his excitement. He nervously tapped his foot, going over the speech once more. It wasn't very long. He would explain how he would control the world with fear, how his old man's way took too much for too little. He would deliver to his father's direct reports, he decided, knowing it would be too forceful for the general public. He couldn't wait to see them.

When the helicopter landed, he jumped out and saw Palmer, his father's incompetent space program head. He saw him running toward the sight of him, explaining the situation and everything he saw. "So, Sephiroth is back," was all he managed to say before the oaf broke down in front of him. Rufus rolled his eyes and let him run past him to the helicopter, catching sight of four people and an animal of some sort on the same floor as his father's office. "By the way, who are you guys?"

They all unassumingly explained who they were, introducing themselves as the infamous AVALANCHE team. "What a crew," he said with a shrug. This was perfect. He could deliver his speech to these losers. It didn't matter how intimidating it sounded to them since they were criminals; criminals in which he could instill the fear of God. _'Five long years…'_ he thought again. With an arrogant flip of his hair he said, "Well I'm Rufus, the President of Shinra Inc." It sounded _so good_ saying it out loud for the first time and it be true.

"You're only president because your old man is dead!" bellowed a large black man with a gun for an arm.

Rufus chuckled. "That's right. I'll let you hear my new appointment speech." He turned to face the crew and walked up to the busty young woman in a white shirt and short black miniskirt. "Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working." He spoke as he walked up to her and was pleasantly surprised to see her stiffen as he drew closer. That's all these terrorist scum were, cowardly, misguided fools. He stopped short a couple of inches from her face, towering over her. "The population thought that Shinra would protect them-"

Rufus didn't have time to react as he saw the young woman draw her hand back and sock him in the face with such a force, the whole world went still for a moment. He wasn't expecting _that_. Rufus leaned back on one foot, paused, and then rolled his eyes back into his as he collapsed into the ground beneath him, stars hazing his vision before everything went black.

When Rufus came to, he realized he was staring at the ceiling of his helicopter, watching the afterglow of Cure materia fading away from the center of his face. "Glad to see you're okay, sir," said Tseng. "That woman gave you quite a blow."

Rufus groaned. "Wha-what happened?" He was still dazed and his cheek bones and area around his eyes throbbed. He sat up slightly.

"You were in the middle of your speech when an AVALANCHE member sucker punched you and knocked you out. They fought their way out of the building before we could catch them, but we have a good description of them. They can't get very far." Rufus groaned and fell back down on his back with a plop. "What's the matter sir?"

"Five long years…." was all he managed to say as he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.


	3. Saving Face

These short writing exercises are fun. I think my next prompt will be one of my originals, but do feel free to submit more. This prompt is also from the lovely Emerial. And yes, if you watch the scene of meeting Rufus for the first time, you notice Tifa and him staring at each other during Cloud and Barret's exchange. RufTi canon! Haha

Prompt: Tifa staring down the barrels of a sawed-off shotgun. Heart pounding and adrenaline pulsing. Hate, anger, contempt and disgust at him, his devilishly handsome smirk-or something.

Rating: T

* * *

He had been _humiliated_! First the SOLDIER First Class brute had the audacity to murder his beloved pet, and then blindside him with an impressive display of Materia use. He was grateful there were no cameras around to memorialize that terrible moment for all time. As of now he was just grateful just to be out of there. Luckily his men had brought the helicopter around to save him from the skirmish.

But still, getting away from the beast wasn't enough. He was wounded, both physically and mentally. How could he have let this happen? No doubt his time in Junon had made him soft. He would have to just do better next time. One person walking away thinking they were more powerful than him was too many. _Everyone_ needed to know that he was the one on top, no matter what. He had the helicopter drop him down on the balcony a floor below from where the fight took place, winding around to the higher level executives' floor. "I'm going to get something from the office! Stay here!" he called back as he limped away. With his old man dead, he could finally take back the records of Shinra's military that were rightfully his.

Rufus entered through the balcony door, rounding the empty desks and unconscious staff in the eerily quiet interior, clutching his side in pain. He made his way around the symmetrical staircase and saw a lone figure standing by herself by the main doors. She didn't seem to notice him right away, but Rufus was able to glimpse her more closely, recognizing her as one of the AVALANCHE members he saw just a few minutes earlier. _'She's waiting for him…'_ he thought.

* * *

Tifa stood at door and watched Barret, Aerith and Red escape through the mechanical door. She could faintly hear the battle above her: a shot from a gun ringing out and the distinctive sound of Materia being used. Tifa feared for Cloud's safety and was about to run back up to the office and find help him, but suddenly the sound stopped as the sound of a helicopter could distantly be heard. Tifa held her breath and looked up and around. She clutched her hands close to her chest, trying to still her beating heart. She looked behind her through the door in case she could see her allies making it to the elevator safely. She exhaled, knowing they were gone and knowing that Cloud would soon be back with her.

When she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her, she turned around quickly, knowing Cloud would be there. But soon enough she found herself staring down the two barrels of a shotgun pointed at her face. She could only let out a gasp and instinctively backed up against a wall, hitting it with an audible thud. The barrels came closer until they almost made contact with her nose. She breathed deeply for several moments, not daring to make a sound. After an interminable stillness, she finally willed herself to move her eyes on the familiar, arrogant, but badly bruised face she acquainted herself with not more than ten minutes ago.

She remained still, staring into those mesmerizing blue eyes, so different from Cloud's own. "Are you scared of me?" he asked with a knowing smirk. It infuriated her. Judging from the cut on his cheek, the bruises near his jaw and the bloody hand that held the shotgun, it was clear that he lost the fight and fled. Yet he still had the gall to sneak up on her and aim a firearm at her. Her lower lip quivered as she spoke, "No!" It sounded more breathy and shaky than she wanted, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

He lifted his free arm, extended it and clamped it down on her shoulder. She jumped at the sudden contact. He chortled. "Could've fooled me." He leaned in closer to her, shotgun still aimed at her. Tifa's knees began to shake, more and more violently as he moved. His nose touched hers and he paused.

* * *

The anxiety felt by this lowlife was palpable to Rufus. He may not have been able to instill fear into that spiky-haired fool, but he certainly could in her. He looked at her quivering lips and heaving chest and could tell that she was trying to put a brave front and failing miserably. Did she not know how pathetic she looked? Still, she managed to stay upright and not grovel on her knees like a simpleton. That frustrated him slightly. With death staring her in the face she still tried to defy him. He couldn't simply pull the trigger, then she wouldn't feel the fear she was rightfully expected to. And because he had unloaded all of his ammo in the previous fight. He wanted to make a lasting impression on her. He leaned in close to her face, hovering there so that they were sharing breath. In one last attempt to subdue her mentally, he forcefully captured her lips in his, pressing harder, devouring her mouth. He could hear her gasp once again, caught thoroughly by surprise. Her retaliation was minimal, inexperienced and increasingly frail.

Her eyes were open wide the entire time, completely stunned to do anything else. Rufus felt her body slip away as she slid lower and lower down the wall until she sat on the floor, looking up at him. Her cheeks were red and her legs shook. He felt the corner of his mouth tug up, knowing that he had the final say in this battle of wits. Looking at the dazed, busty terrorist beneath him, he couldn't but think that, in this type of encounter, he could've done worse. He heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps thud across the ceiling above him, knowing that her comrade was coming. Not wanting to go through another bout with him, he fled through the doors, leaving the girl behind.

* * *

Tifa tried her best to get her breathing and heart under control after the new President fled through the doors. _'Why did he have to do something like_ that _?'_ she thought. It would have been better if he had tried to strike her; slap her, pin her down, something she knew how to deal with. But no, he robbed her of her first kiss, leaving the coppery taste of some of his blood on her lips. A flood of emotions went through her: rage, fear, worry, and strangely enough, fascination. She was only distantly aware of the approaching figure coming at her, becoming completely focused when he called her name.

"Tifa!" Cloud shouted. "Are you okay?" he stood over her, offering her a hand to help her up.

She looked at his extended hand, not even realizing she was on the floor. She slightly shook her head to regain some control. "Yes, I'm okay. Wh-where's Rufus?" she asked, feigning ignorance, not ready to explain to Cloud what just happened.

"I couldn't finish 'em. Looks like this' gonna get complicated."

Tifa nodded and led him through the door that Rufus went through mere seconds ago. The two of them made their way to the staircases, Tifa cautiously watching her surroundings, knowing Rufus was nearby, and armed with a shotgun. As the two ran, Cloud mentioned the bloody handprint on her shoulder. Tifa touched it briefly. "It's nothing," she said. _'Nothing…nothing at all…I hope…'_ her thoughts finished.


	4. Enchantment Night

Hi Folks!

So consider this a sort of a continuation of my _Anxiety_ story. Looking at the two RufTi fics I wrote in the past year, _Anxiety_ was superior to _Buried in Snow_ in every way. I think I just let descriptions get too bloated and added unnecessary scenes to the latter that the story just wasn't engaging throughout. So for this story, think of it as a 'spiritual' continuation instead of an actual one since there may be other scenarios from that alternate timeline. A head canon of a head canon if you will. Since _Anxiety_ was intentionally written entirely from Rufus' third person view, I think it's a nice switch to put it with Tifa's this time around. This is one of my own prompts and there will be other writings in the _Anxiety_ canon that aren't connected to this unless otherwise stated.

Rating: Soft M.

* * *

Tifa stared at the letter in her hand as she sat on the Ghost Hotel bed. She didn't need to guess who sent it to her, with the fancy gold lining on the interior of the envelope and the immaculate handwriting on the thick paper with the Shinra logo printed on the letterhead.

She read it again for perhaps the twentieth time:

 _Miss Lockhart,_

 _I see you and your comrades have managed to make your way to the Gold Saucer. I request your presence and your presence_ only _, to my penthouse this evening at nine o' clock on the top floor of the Ghost Hotel. Use the enclosed key card in the elevator and you will be granted special access to my floor. I will be waiting._

 _R. Shina, President, Shinra Electric Power Company, Inc._

 _P.S. Expect to be out late._

 _'What does he mean by_ that _?'_ She thought, though she supposed it was quite obvious. She played with the plastic gold-colored card between her fingers. Tifa didn't need to guess how he found her. She and her team have run into Rufus and his goons several times in the past few weeks. Though she hadn't spoken to him directly since she left him in the stairway, she thought about him every night. It was maddening being so close to him and the two of them needing to pretend not to know each other every time. He didn't even look her in the eye, instead focusing on Cloud. For a while, Tifa looked at their encounter as a mere lapse in judgment on both of their parts. While she acknowledged that she felt some sort of connection with him, after their silent encounters with no direct interactions, she began to let the reality set in that he did not want to be with her.

But when Rufus came to take Cid's precious plane, Tifa turned to look behind her while the plane took off as Shinra soldiers shot it down. Even from a distance, she could see Rufus infuriatingly chastise the one that landed a hit. It was in that moment that she knew he didn't stop caring for her. And so, on their way to Costa del Sol, while stowing away on his ship, she looked for him in the middle of the night, donning her Shinra uniform, but was not granted access to his quarters, Shinra personnel or not.

What could she do though? It's not like she could tell them who she was and that Rufus would want to see her. No, it simply wasn't meant to be that night. There were also other matters to attend to that evening. It had been weeks since the slight throbbing between her legs had gone away; since her teammates stopped asking her about the days she spent in the Shinra building, finally accepting her story that she was in a cell most of the time; and since she resigned herself to the fact that she probably wouldn't talk to him again, not while Sephiroth was still alive. But now, after so much had happened, he went out of his way to get her attention. It was a huge risk having this sent to her with his name on it. _'Arrogant as always,'_ she thought, with a smile.

The decision to go should've been an easy one, considering the trouble she went through trying to meet him on the way to Costa del Sol. But she wished she could've been able to talk to someone about it. Even when Aerith told her that she kept calling out for "Ru" in her sleep, she managed to convince her that Ru was her guard in her prison cell that said he could be called on if she needed anything. "He must've been pretty nice, to help you like that," she told her. Tifa only nodded in response. That was days ago though, and if anyone hated Shinra more than she did, it was probably Aerith, so she couldn't exactly talk to her about it. Tifa sighed. Aerith had mentioned that it was Enchantment Night at the Gold Saucer and that she was going to ask Cloud on a date. It was a comforting thought though, knowing he wouldn't be alone anymore.

Tifa fingered the card in her hands. She would do it. Even if this was a trap to isolate her, she would take the risk. She missed him. She missed seeing him, even though he had her tied to the floor for a couple of days. He never wanted to hurt her just as she didn't want to harm him. Tifa mulled over the decision when she heard the door open softly behind her. She turned to see Cloud plodding toward her as she discreetly hid the letter and card to her side, out of his view.

"Cloud!" she said startled. "Is everything okay?"

Cloud rubbed the back of his next neck and looked away nervously, "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I was just wondering if…well you know…tonight all the attractions are free and…it might be fun to go check them out."

Tifa blinked. "Are you asking me to go?"

"Yeah, there's games to play and shows to see…and it won't cost a cent!" he added quickly.

"Well that does sound like fun, but I have other plans tonight."

Cloud furrowed his brow. "We didn't plan anything tonight," Cloud responded, referring to the team.

"We didn't. I'm….meeting someone." Tifa didn't feel comfortable lying to her friend, but knew he would want to know with whom she was going.

"Oh. Anyone we know?"

Tifa opened her mouth to answer, but saw the door open again behind Cloud as Aerith stalked into the room. "Hey you guys," she said cheerily. "Cloud, I think it's time you made good on that date you promised." She playfully wrapped her arm in his. Cloud looked to her then to Tifa, who gave him a warm smile.

"Uh, yeah sure. Let's go." He awkwardly led her out the door.

"You two have fun!" Tifa called after them. She was sighed with relief when the two walked out and shut the door behind them. Now Tifa wouldn't have to explain that she was going to spend her evening with Rufus Shinra. She waited a few more minutes until she heard the sound of her other teammates leaving their room and going down the hall for a night of fun and games as well. She did wish she could join them, eating fair food, watching fireworks and playing carnival games. But she wanted to see Rufus again. _'Hey, maybe you actually like the guy,'_ Tifa thought. Her heart skipped a beat. Now she felt more compelled than ever to go see him. She didn't want it to be true. Maybe she needed to convince herself it wasn't. _'What would we really do if I were to go?'_

Five minutes until the requested time, Tifa went up to the elevator and used the special access card to get to the top floor. The elevator ride was a long and quiet one. Would he be alone too? The most powerful man in the world and one of the most sought after criminals in the world in the same place? It was a recipe for disaster for her and her teammates. When the elevator doors opened up, she found herself looking in a large foyer, brilliantly lit and decorated in Victorian style, matching the macabre décor of the rest of the hotel. There were two large double doors in front of her, beautifully decorated and beaconing to her.

When she approached them close enough, she noticed they were slightly open. She knocked softly and waited for several. Nothing. She knocked more forcefully, opening the door a bit more. Still nothing. She felt foolish standing there alone, waiting for someone that may have just been putting together an elaborate trap. She was about to turn heel but stopped herself. _No._ If he was trying to get rid of her, he'd have to have the decency to look her in the eye once more. Plus if he was planning something insidious, she'd at least want the opportunity to attack him too.

She pushed the door open and stomped in. The place was huge, taking up almost the entire floor, seemingly. A large window took up the entire wall on the far side, displaying the brilliant lights of the amusement park below in the distance. The immediate surroundings were ghoulish and unappealing. For a brief moment, she felt that she looking down on Midgar from Rufus' apartment in the Shinra building. She heard movement behind her and quickly turned around, seeing Rufus looking slightly startled, but oddly enough relieved. He still donned his white suit and arrogant expression, though he looked more amused now than anything. "Miss Lockhart, you're early," he said simply.

Tifa exhaled sharply through her nose. "Didn't you hear me knock?" she asked.

"Well of course I did. But the invitation clearly said nine, and it's still two minutes away." He smirked.

Tifa dropped her shoulder and stared at him. After a brief pause, she felt herself giggling and then walking over to embrace him. He opened his arms to her and held her close. "I-I missed you," she said, buried into his coat.

He held her as well. "I missed you too," he replied, kissing her forehead. He pulled away and smirked. "It seems you can't stay away from me. Even for two more minutes."

Tifa stepped back and stomped her foot, her mouth agape. "I see you haven't changed a bit." She folded her arms.

He chortled. "Not a chance. Are you hungry? I can have something brought up."

Tifa pondered a moment and slightly turned her head toward the window. "Yes, as a matter of fact…"

* * *

Within a few minutes, Tifa and Rufus were happily eating an assortment of carnival food placed on checkered wax paper. Rufus himself seemed doubly pleased. "And so, we rode chocobos across the marsh and outran the Midgar Zolom altogether!" Tifa finished her story.

"Interesting creatures. You actually rode one too. How barbaric," he laughed.

"Hey it's not that hard. Maybe I'll get one under you someday."

Rufus lifted his nose defiantly. "I'd like to see you try my dear," he said in his most mocking, snobby tone. He dug for more of onion rings.

"I guess I'm a little disappointed," Tifa said. "I thought you wouldn't like this stuff."

Rufus washed down his corn dog with some soda. "Are you kidding? I haven't eaten this way since I was a kid." He had discarded his large white coat and shoes, making himself more comfortable. The two of them ate on the floor in front of the window, admiring the sight below them. Rufus was on his side, propped up on his elbow and Tifa sat on her bent knees.

Tifa laughed. "Me either. We had small gatherings in my hometown but they only served this kind of food once." She plucked a piece of fried dough in her mouth. Tifa shrugged and sighed, smiling. "So…how've _you_ been?" she asked awkwardly.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh you know, just trying to keep the world held together," he said wryly.

"Perhaps we shouldn't talk about work," Tifa laughed nervously.

Rufus nodded. "Besides, I know how you've been. You've been busy, causing more mischief. I didn't expect anything less." He said it without malicious conceit.

Tifa bit her lip. "Hey Ru…" she cleared her throat. She wanted to confirm once and for all where they stood. Their relationship, if you can call it that, was transparent, at best. "Rufus." He looked up from his french fries. "Did you think about me at all? I mean…before you saw me at Rocket Town? Or Junon?"

Rufus put his food down and reached for Tifa's fingers in his right hand. He stroked them gently. "Yes, I did." He showed more tenderness outside of their coupling than she had ever seen before. "I even went looking for you when I found out you were on my cargo ship."

Tifa stiffened at the sudden news. "You did? I went looking for you! I went to your office and they wouldn't let me in…"

Rufus looked like he wanted to chuckle. "Well that makes sense. I don't allow anyone in my office when I'm not there."

Tifa slapped her forehead and giggled. "I guess we were both unlucky."

"I'd say I was very lucky." Rufus' eyes became hooded as he eyed her up and down.

"Ru…Rufus…."

"You can call me Ru. Just don't tell anyone."

Tifa giggled. "It took a lot to come here. I want to know how you feel about me. But not necessarily physically. So you wouldn't mind if we just….talked?"

Rufus leaned back. "Isn't that what we're doing? I wasn't planning on anything else."

Tifa pursed her lips. "But you told me to expect to be out late."

Rufus flicked his head back to move his loose strands of hair from his face. "Well of course, the fireworks don't start until ten thirty and this is the best place to see them in their entirety.

Tifa's jaw dropped. She smiled and leapt over into his arms and hugged him, rolling them both across the carpet amid a concerto of laughter. She kissed him on the forehead. "This is…too much, you know that?" she said.

Rufus looked up at her, his blue eyes sparkling and a small smile on his lips. "I missed you, Tifa."

"I missed you too, Rufus." She pressed her forehead to his. She leaned up off of him and pulled him so that they were both upright.

Rufus looked at his watch. "Should be any minute now." He rubbed her shoulder.

Tifa looked out of the window anxiously. She wondered how her friends were doing. They were probably having a good time, not even wondering where she was. She thought of Cloud and Aerith and how Aerith would probably go in for a kiss and Cloud sloppily reciprocating or dodging. He had asked her to join him that evening. Did he want to become involved with her? She looked to Rufus again. She had discarded her chance to be with Cloud, in favor of spending just one, albeit platonically, with Rufus.

"I'm really glad you invited me here, Rufus. I was certain you weren't interested in seeing me again," Tifa said, laying out all of her vulnerability in front of him. "Until I saw you get mad at that Shinra grunt for shooting our plane down."

Rufus frowned. "I told them to stand down. I thought you were hurt. I thought you were dead." He shook his head slightly. "I know my company is responsible for a lot. I didn't want them to be responsible for your death too."

He looked so somber to Tifa. "It's okay, Rufus," she rubbed his leg. "I'm here now. We're both here now. Whatever lies ahead, let's just enjoy tonight."

Rufus looked up at her. "Yes, let's. And it's Ru, if you don't mind." He grinned.

Tifa smiled and kissed him, deeply. Rufus held her head close and returned the kiss. Before her hands could wander, they heard a distinct crack outside and both immediately broke their kiss and looked outside. The fireworks display had begun. Tifa looked at the bright lights in awe. For years she dreamt at seeing the fireworks again, and now Rufus gave her the best view in the whole place. She leaned her head on his shoulder and watched. It excited her as she got to her feet and pressed her palms against the glass, hopping up and down on her heels. Rufus stood to join her with his arm around her waist. The display didn't last long, but when the finale came with a spectacular show of brilliant colors, Tifa was elated. She leapt into his arms and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him wildly. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, not breaking the kiss.

Tifa was slightly startled when she felt the soft mattress hit her back. She opened her eyes to the desire laden face of Rufus Shinra above her. They were in an adjacent room with no lights on, but an open window. "I'm sorry, Tifa," he breathed. "I know I told you we wouldn't do anything, but I haven't touched you in weeks. I'll stop if you really want me to." He drew delicate fingers across her cheek to her collarbone, then down her shirt, causing her to gasp. "But I don't think you want me to."

Tifa breathed slightly, feeling the same way she did when he said her friends were alive. "It's okay. I planned to be out late…"

Rufus smiled and Tifa felt Rufus indulge in her body, uninhibited. This would mark the third time Tifa let Rufus take her. Yet despite all of the time that passed between them, she felt as if the whole coupling with him was second nature. She was more experienced, despite how few times she had sex with him, and learned his rhythm. Their clothing was quickly discarded to the side of the room and she moved him beneath her, riding him as the last notes of the fireworks display erupted.

"Oh Ru…oh Ru…." she whispered. The quietness of the room soothed them both as Tifa and Rufus collapsed in each other's comfort on the bed. Beneath the covers, Rufus trembled as Tifa breathed heavily. Tifa glanced the clock on the night stand. It was almost midnight. Neither of them had fallen asleep despite their tired state. "I don't want to go…" she said.

"I don't want you to go either," he said. He turned on his side and kissed her cheek. "But you must. We'll see each other again."

Tifa sigh and closed her eyes. She turned her head to kiss him once more. "Yes…we will." She got up and dressed as Rufus watched her. She glanced behind him and saw him smirk at her. Whether it was arrogance or pure satisfaction at his view, she didn't care. She wished she could've said more, how she really felt. But with such an uncertain future ahead of them, neither could afford to be tied down by emotions. She blew him a kiss goodbye, and left through the door, the memories of the entire night making her grin all the way back to her room.


	5. Nibelheim High Part 1

Hi folks. Not sure where I found the inspiration to this one, but for some reason I found the idea interesting enough to write about. I don't normally like AU stories and normally I find the 'high school' stories silly, but I did have a request for one AU and I have to admit, it was fun to write. So in this story all of the main characters are the same age with few exceptions. Also for the sake of saving confusion, 'Materia' is the Gaia equivalent to chemistry class in our world. Due to the length of this story, I think I'll tell it in two parts. This is unlike many of the stories I've written so don't expect anything too cerebral.

Prompt: Tifa and co are high school students. Tifa finds herself in an unfavorable position but finds renewed purpose when a friend seeks help.

Rating: T

* * *

It had been a normal day at Nibelheim High. Tifa and her friends all donned their uniforms, all of them perfectly pressed and clean save for hers. She couldn't afford the expensive dry cleaning twice a week everyone else could; otherwise she'd have to go to the public school closer to her house, to which her father refused.

"No way in hell is my daughter going to be sent to the Lion's Den!" she remembered him saying. "No matter what it takes, you're going to the private school in the northern part of town."

Tifa recalled the conversation every time she entered the ornate halls of the place in the earlier days. The first few months were brutal and her slightly wrinkly uniform and unstyled hair made her stand apart from everyone else quickly. She was ridiculed at first, mostly by the bleach blonde cheerleader squad, but the days became more bearable when a friendly girl named Aerith took a liking to her and introduced her to her clique. After a short time, she felt more and more grateful to her father for pushing her to come to the school further away since it meant she could see her new friends.

It was a cool autumn day as Tifa began her second month there, and she quickly fell into the routine of seeing her friends, Zack Fair, Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough, and Yuffie Kisaragi, an exchange student from Wutai. The halls were a buzz this particular morning, with Tifa hearing bits and pieces of gossip as she strode past the groups of friends. "He's been gone this whole time?" "Yeah, for the past few days…."

When Tifa made her way to her group sitting by the stairs, she sat beside them. "What's going on?" she asked to no one person in particular.

Zack leaned back and folded his arms. "Apparently Nibel-High's big man on campus has been out for a few days," he said.

"That Rufus guy?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah. Apparently something's up, but no one knows for sure," Aerith said.

Tifa rolled her eyes. She didn't care for gossip, but in a place as small as Nibelheim, it was hard to get away from it. She had a Materia studies class with him, but she never spoke to him. She didn't even _notice_ he was gone this whole time. Usually there were a crowd of girls around him, blocking her view of him, so it's not like she'd immediately sense his absence anyway. But she supposed the absence of the heir to the richest family in the town, possibly the world, was enough to cause a stir. "What's the big deal? He's probably just sick."

"Yeah, probably got a blowjob from the wrong kind of girl," Yuffie joked.

"Yuffie!" Aerith shouted. "That's not very nice. I'm sure it's nothing serious."

"You say that, but word around the locker says that he's being targeted by radicals because his father wants to build a reactor on Holy land," said Cloud.

"They can't do that! That's sacred land!" said Aerith.

"It's just speculation."

Tifa stayed quiet, not really caring to continue the conversation further. Just then, the bell rang and Tifa was relieved she didn't have to hear anymore about the oh-so-powerful Rufus Shinra. It was enough that she had to see his family name on all of her family's electric bills when she got the mail. She didn't need to have her friends imbued with Shinra fever as well. Didn't high school seniors have bigger things to worry about? Like college or careers they were interested in?

Coincidentally Tifa found herself in Materia class, hearing the pre-class discussions about nothing else but the blond heir. She huffed and patiently waited for class to begin. Once the teacher came in, everyone quieted down and began the lecture. Tifa enjoyed Materia class. She prayed that one day she could go to Midgar and research it some more; maybe even go on some excavation expeditions in the north. Such dreams seemed out of reach not too long ago, but her teacher told her that if she kept up the good work, he could get her in contact with some of his former colleagues in Midgar and maybe get her a paid internship. Tifa made sure to do her best by him from that point on, no matter what.

After fervently taking down notes for the entire class, Tifa was packing up her book bag while the lecture was wrapping up. "Oh class, before you go, I'm sure everyone has heard about the lengthy departure of our own Rufus Shinra," the teacher said. "We'll need someone to go to his house to bring his homework."

Tifa sighed and watched the forest of hands raise in the air, each from the most attractive girls in the class. "Oh I'll do it! He knows who I am already!" "No pick me! He doesn't live far from me!" The teacher scanned the class with a blank expression until he settled on Tifa.

"Tifa, how about you?" he said.

Tifa felt her heart skip a beat. "But my hand wasn't even raised!" she blurted out, not meaning to sound disrespectful.

"No kidding, he doesn't want to see you anyway," snorted Scarlet, the ever obnoxious cheer captain.

"That's enough!" the teacher shouted. "Tifa, see me after class." The bell rang. "Everyone else is dismissed."

As everyone gathered their belongings, Tifa walked down the aisle in the center of the class, hearing the snide remarks of her classmates as well as feeling their glares. Why did she get picked anyway? Rufus Shinra and she had barely exchanged any words, if any at all. In fact, she remembered almost bumping into him in the hallway and saying a polite 'excuse me' only for him to not repay the sentiment. When Tifa made her way to the teacher's desk, everyone filed out of the room behind her, quickly leaving.

"Mr. Zangan, I'm sorry about my outburst," said Tifa.

"That's alright, Tifa," he said. "I know you don't have the warmest attitude toward Mr. Shinra, but that's precisely why I picked you."

"What? Why?

Mr. Zangan began gathering up some small binders and text books and stacking them together. "The school has been informed that Rufus has started refusing to come to school. We haven't been told why but we have been specially requested that someone bring him his work and maybe some help if he needs it."

 _'Oh poor little rich boy can't be bothered to get out of his bed, huh? I like the idea he's a target for radicals better,'_ Tifa thought. "That's all very interesting, but I don't see why you picked me."

Mr. Zangan chuckled. "Well because you're the only one that would _help_ him. Everyone else would either do the work for him or use it as an excuse to get into his home and on his best side. No, I'm afraid you're the best chance he has for passing this class legitimately. I don't want to have to face the anger of his father when he returns tomorrow, or heaven forbid his body guards. It will also be good practice to hone your own studies, should you decide to pursue a career in Materia studies."

Tifa sighed. "You want me to bring this to him tonight then?"

"If you can. I can call ahead and let them know to expect you."

Tifa thought a moment. She didn't have to work at the local shop near her house that night. She could definitely make the trip; she'd just have to let her father know she'd be home later. "Okay I'll do it."

"Thank you, Tifa. Do you need directions?"

As if she did. Everyone knew where the Shinra Mansion was. It was the epicenter where the world's most powerful people gathered from time to time. Local traffic and security was a nightmare two times a year when the Shinras threw their biannual parties. "No thank you," said Tifa. "I can find it on my own."

Mr. Zangan slid the books and binders over to here. "Here you go. The first binder has information of what to cover with him. I'm sorry we can't offer you any form of payment, but if this goes well, I may be able to get you a summer job in Cosmo Canyon helping my brother study Materia before you start college."

Tifa's eyes went wide. _Cosmo Canyon._ She had only learned about it recently in the past year or so, learning that it was supposedly the place where Materia first originated from millions of years ago. This was only discovered recently too, so there was a wealth of undiscovered information to be found there. She'd love to be a part of that. Suddenly she felt excited, no longer apprehensive about having to be in the presence of the unlikable Rufus Shinra. "Thanks Mr. Zangan!" He nodded and she turned to leave.

Tifa stuffed the materials in her locker, to be picked up when she left for the day. She spent the next two classes daydreaming of what she'd do in Cosmo Canyon if she was able to go. She'd have to save up money of course, that meant putting in as many shifts at the general store as she could before graduation. She already spent a third of her paychecks to help pay for the school, and her dad could only work so much at the factory. She pieced her plan together in her mind until lunch when she came up to meet her friends.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Lucky Lockhart," Yuffie jokingly mocked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tifa said as she sat down at the table, pulling out her lunch. "Where did you hear that?"

"Everyone's talking about how you're going to Shinra's house to deliver his homework. Everyone's talking about it?" said Aerith.

Tifa scoffed. In her euphoria at the idea of going to Cosmo Canyon, she almost forgot about what she had to do to even have the opportunity to go. "Yeah, Mr. Zangan wants me to also help the guy if he needs help with the work."

"Wait, so you're actually going to be _in_ his house? For an extended period of time?"

Tifa finished chewing her food. "Yeah, maybe. If he needs help." Aerith withdrew a bit, lost in thought. Tifa noticed this and added, "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be okay. If you want, you should come." She looked to her and Yuffie.

"Can't tonight, I have cheer practice," Yuffie said. Tifa sometimes forgot Yuffie was on the cheer squad. It was hard to see her that way without her uniform because she wasn't constantly on Tifa's back about her appearance. "But do tell me how it goes. Shinra may probably be a punk, but he sure is gorgeous. I'm sure he gets more ass than a toilet seat." She gulped down her soda.

Zack and Cloud began to laugh hysterically while the other two females rolled their eyes. The rest of lunch continued with the group conversing about the events of the day, though Aerith was unusually quiet. When the bell rang, everyone got up and all headed to the class each one of them shared: gym.

Coach Wallace blew his whistle and bellowed as the students, donned in their gym clothes consisting of a white shirt and blue shorts, to jog around the school grounds. As usual, Zack, Cloud and Yuffie pulled ahead of them, wanting to make the most of their workout time. Tifa and Aerith dragged behind, jogging more slowly. "Hey, what's up with you?" asked Tifa. "You've been quiet an awfully long time. Are you and Zack having issues?"

Aerith flashed her pretty green eyes at Tifa. "No, it's not that," she said as she looked around. "Come with me." She led Tifa behind the bleachers, out of sight of the coach and spoke quietly. "I've just been thinking. I have something to ask you. A favor. A big one."

Tifa furrowed her brow. Whatever it was, she'd do it. She owed Aerith so much for taking her in when no one else would. It was never spoken between them, but Tifa was going to repay her for her kindness no matter what it took. "Anything."

"Do you remember a couple of weeks ago, when I lost my green Materia?"

Tifa remembered. Aerith handled it well, but everyone knew she was torn up inside, knowing it was the last remnant she had of her late mother. She wore it around her neck on a silver chian. She nodded.

"Well, I didn't _lose_ it. It was stolen." She breathed deeply. "By Shinra."

Tifa felt the color rise to her cheeks, infuriated. "Why didn't you say anything? We could've done something to that punk!"

"That's precisely why I didn't say anything. What can any of us do? Beat up the Shinra heir with no proof and end up dead the next day? No, nothing could be done. But now…" Tifa began to piece it together before Aerith had to explain. "You'll have access to his home on the inside. If you can find it…Tifa I'm so sorry to ask this of you."

"Well what about earlier? When I asked if you wanted to go? You can come with me."

Aerith shook her head. "Shinra and I have bad blood. It dates back to when we were young. If I'm seen on the premises at all it will be immediately suspicious."

Tifa pursed her lips. "I don't it get then, they see we are around each other all the time, won't _that_ bee seen as suspicious?"

"I guess we just have to hope they don't look too much into it." Aerith shrugged.

"Why would he take something like that in the first place? Can't he afford his own Materia? Much less Materia that actually works?"

"Who knows why he took it? I'm sure he has his own reasons. But if you can get it back for me, I will find a way to repay you somehow."

Tifa nodded. "Of course Aerith. Besides, I'd love to stick it to that rich punk for stealing from you."

Aerith squealed with delight and hugged Tifa. "Thank you, Tifa!" She let go of her and held her shoulders. "We must not let anyone else know. The less people that know, the better."

The two resumed their run and didn't mention anything about the plan for the rest of the day. When school was letting out, Tifa caught Zack before he got into his car. "Zack, can I use your phone to call my dad? I need to let him know I won't be home until later."

"Sure, Tifa," said Zack. "Do you need a ride there? It's not too far out of the way."

Tifa smiled. "That'd be great, thanks! I thought I had to take the bus."

Tifa and Zack waved goodbye to their friends as Tifa climbed into the vehicle. The drive seemed longer than it actually was. The Shinra estate was a little ways into the mountain, surrounded by a large brick fence. Tifa called her father, who seemed a little apprehensive about letting his daughter be out so late, but relented when she informed him of the opportunities this excursion could lead to. "Just be safe, okay? I can pick you up if you need me to."

"Sure thing, dad. Love you."

"Your dad sure is a big teddy bear," Zack chuckled.

Tifa snorted. "Yeah, but he's a bit over protective."

For the rest of the ride, they didn't talk much. Zack had the radio and Tifa began to think about what was going to happen now. Being with Rufus Shinra…. Every female in the school found him to be incredibly attractive, but Tifa didn't understand why. He possessed the conventional features of a handsome man for sure: fair hair, blue eyes, high cheek bones, but he seemed so blank to her, so disingenuous. He was nothing like the people she knew from her part of town, so full of life and dreams. Rufus was constantly surrounded by followers, but she never heard him talk much. The last thing she wanted to do was be alone with him.

When Zack rounded the front of the place, in front of the gate, he bid her good luck. Tifa felt apprehensive again as she walked through the gate and up the stone path, littered with security and landscaping workers. It was very intimidating. They knew to be expecting her, and a young teenager with a stack of books couldn't be much of a threat.

She walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. She heard the faint chime echo through the large interior. The large white door opened, to an older woman in a maid's uniform. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Tifa eyed the woman up and down. "My name is Tifa…Tifa Lockhart. I'm here for Rufus Shinra," she said.

The woman gazed at her. "Yes, we've been expecting you. Follow me." The woman motioned her in and Tifa followed her.

Tifa looked around the massive foyer and saw a brilliant chandelier above her. How many of the most powerful people in the world saw this? She didn't want to admit it, but she truly felt special being here. Now that she was inside of the place, the glimpse of the life she would never have resonated with her greatly. She was led to a large flight of stairs and to the west wing of the manor. After a series of doors, she was greeted with one at which the woman stopped. "This is Master Rufus' room," the woman announced. She knocked. "Master Tifa is here to see you."

"Not Master!" she said. "Just Tifa."

The woman paid her no heed. The door opened and Tifa was greeted with a familiar face. "Thank you, Louise. That will be all," he said. His voice impossibly cool. He opened the door wider and motioned her inside. The woman bowed and left and Tifa was suddenly alone, her biggest fear realized.

Inside of the bedroom, Tifa could've dropped. It was so _large_. Her own home could fit inside of it. In fact it looked like a large studio apartment minus the kitchen. There was a large table with a dining area and a bed in the far corner. On the other side was a large area with a television and couch. And the ceiling was so high, allowing room for large windows that were hidden behind drapes. If this is what Shinra got to come home to, why would he ever _need_ to leave?

"Zangan sent you, huh?" he said. He wasn't dressed in the school uniform she was used to seeing him in, but a professional black shirt with a white vest and matching white pants. If he were just a bit older, she'd swear he was some sort of business tycoon.

" _Mr._ Zangan asked me to bring your homework," she said. "Yes." It wasn't until now that she wondered why no one else had come to drop of his school work. He had other classes, not just the one she shared with him. "He also inquired if you needed any help." She said this rather quickly, hoping he'd just shoo her out so she could go home.

"Yes, actually," he said.

Tifa sighed, audible enough so Rufus could hear her. She sat down at the large dining table and started opening the books. "Alright, let's begin."

Rufus opened a few of the binders and began to write down answers on the assignment papers. He was quiet for most of the time, like he usually was in school. Tifa decided to open one of the textbooks and pretend to read, all the while trying to inconspicuously look around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Aerith's missing possession. After perhaps an hour, Tifa began getting antsy. She wasn't comfortable in this place, not with _him_. More still, she couldn't reasonably search the place for the tiny gem without him seeing. She looked back to her book. "Do you like learning about this stuff?" he asked.

Tifa nearly jumped but quickly regained her composure. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I want to study Materia when I go to college."

He chuckled. "No kidding. So you're pretty knowledge able on all of this stuff?"

Tifa shrugged. "Sure I guess."

"What do you know about the Holy Materia?"

She pursed her lips. She didn't study about Holy Materia, none of her tests were on it nor were there any commercial applications for it. "No one knows much about it. It was only discovered fifty years ago. But it doesn't really respond to any test. Some think it's the ultimate power against evil and hatred. But to everyone else it's just a pale green ball of nothing."

He nodded. "I see." He continued to work on his assignment, occasionally asking her some questions he was having trouble with. Tifa was surprised he wasn't as clueless as he seemed, but it didn't take long for her to realize that he may have been referring to Aerith's green Materia. She didn't think her Materia was Holy, but she did know that, like Holy Materia, Aerith's didn't seem to respond to anything. That was enough for her. It _had_ to be here. When watching him work, she realized she knew so little about him. He didn't speak to her much, in fact, she never saw him speak to anyone. He always had something else on his mind, it seemed.

She glanced at her watch and saw that a couple of hours had passed. The sun had probably begun to set and the street lights had most definitely come on by now. She looked at Rufus who paid no mind to her. "Is there a bathroom in here?"

Rufus moved his head toward a door near his bedroom. "Over there."

Tifa stood up and strode toward it. She was more relieved to have some sort of door between her and him. She turned the light on and was greeted by a lovely bathroom with marble surfaces and a crystal glass shower. Her bedroom could've fit in here. She went to the bathroom and came out, quietly. When she did, she froze. She saw on his dresser was a picture frame with a silver chain hanging off of it. She looked up to see Rufus still engrossed in his work. He didn't seem to notice her. She looked back and took a closer look at the chain and picture. It was an older picture for sure, probably over a decade old. It depicted a small blond child being held by a blonde woman and an older man behind her. Tifa knew at once it was his father. Everyone knew who President Shinra was.

She took a closer look at the chain and saw the small pale green ball dangling behind the frame. It was her bounty, Aerith's remnant! She wanted to grab it, but was interrupted. "Something wrong?" she heard Rufus call.

Tifa withdrew immediately. "No, I was just looking at this picture. Is this you?"

"Yes. But that's not important. That time is gone now."

Tifa nodded and walked over to the table again. She nervously sat down, willing herself not to glance back at the chain across the room. The distance felt as if it was getting larger and larger. Rufus spoke up more this time around, mostly asking her questions about the assignment and the two entered into a discussion about the practical applications of elemental Materia.

"If harnessed responsibly, it can maybe be an alternative power source," said Rufus.

"Maybe but Materia's power is finite. No one knows exactly why," she said. Tifa was intrigued to say the least that Rufus Shrina seemed to have a legitimate interest in the study. It didn't excuse the fact that she loathed him for stealing from Aerith. She wanted to snap his little neck for causing her so much grief.

"You've been very helpful, Tifa. I can see why you speak up so much class."

Tifa remained silent. She didn't want to pay any heed to his insincere compliments. "I should be going soon. My dad will be worrying about me."

"Your dad would be worried if you're gone for a couple of hours?"

"On the other side of town at night? Yes. My dad worries all the time. No matter where I am."

He looked at her with a pensive expression. "I see. Thank you for your help."

Tifa didn't want to leave without Aerith's precious gift, but it may have to wait for another time. "W-would you like me to come back tomorrow? We didn't cover everything."

"Fine. I will see you tomorrow. I will buzz Louise to have someone take you home."

"That won't be necessary, my father will pick me up."

Rufus seemed agitated. "I insist."

Tifa would rather not argue lest he decide to tell her not to return the next day. She nodded in agreement and exited the Manor. The sky was painted in beautiful shades of blue and red as the sun disappeared behind the mountains. She replayed the moments in her head as the driver pulled up. She recounted all of the moments she could've made off with the Materia. But it would have to wait. She would do it tomorrow. She _had_ to.

* * *

There you have it folks. I actually almost didn't post this. It's not really like anything I've written. But if you enjoyed it please let me know. Part two to come. ~Zeldafreak701


	6. Nibelheim High Part 2

The driver navigated Tifa's neighborhood with noticeable caution. It was in a more shady part of town where the fences were chain link and the street lights flickered from time to time, painting the entire street in a muted yellow tone. Tifa's home had a fresh coat of paint on it and a brick fence she and her dad, and a couple of friends from her dad's work, put up the previous summer. It stood out from the rest of the neighborhood and Tifa was happy to see the lights on to welcome her home.

Her dad heard her open and shut the gate behind her and came out to greet her. "Sweet one, you're home," he said. He looked up and saw the sleek, armored car pull out and peel off down the street. "Well, I thought I was going to have to come get you, but I see you've suddenly turned into royalty," he chuckled.

"Oh stop. The Shinra heir insisted he arrange for a ride home," Tifa answered. "What's for dinner?"

"You mean they didn't feed you? Richest people ever and they can't be bothered to feed my little girl?" Tifa shrugged. "Anyway, it's potato and leek soup."

Tifa perked up. She would certainly miss her dad's cooking if she went to Cosmo Canyon for the summer. She put away her books and sat down at the table while her dad served her a bowl.

"So," her dad began as he took a seat across from her, "how was it?"

"How was what? The house?" Tifa asked as she started eating.

"House? You mean mansion. And no, I mean how was the session?"

Tifa shrugged. "Oh, well nothing really happened. Rufus is so stuck up. He didn't even talk much." She briefly entertained the idea of telling her father about her plan to steal back Aerith's Materia, but thought better of it.

"He must be one stressed out kid."

Tifa scoffed. Even her dad had Shinra fever. "Like hell he is! His rich self never has to worry about anything. He has all the money in the world and all of its inhabitants falling at his feet. What on earth would he have to be stressed about?"

Her father laughed quietly. "You're so young."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you have a lot to learn about the world." He stopped his eating and looked at her. "Just because you have money doesn't mean you have happiness. Can you imagine being in his shoes? Bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders while constantly being under watch by everyone? Heck, the day he was born it was all over the news. His whole life spelled out for everyone. It doesn't seem like a happy life." Tifa didn't think of it that way, but was doubly surprised that her father seemed to have empathy for the heir of the oppressive company. "Besides," he continued, "it's hard going through life with only one parent." Her father resumed eating. "But you already knew that."

Tifa stopped when her spoon was halfway to her mouth. "He only has one parent?" She deduced that it was his mother since it was well known that his father was still alive.

"Oh yes. Madame First Lady Shinra died some time ago. It was all over the news for weeks. Poor kid was just about to see his ninth birthday."

"But Rufus and I are the same age. I don't remember anything about that back then."

Her father took a deep breath. "Well…it was nine years ago…"

Tifa sighed. Nine years ago her mother had passed as well. Tifa didn't remember much from that time, other than that she would spend nights and most of the day in her closet, crying. It was no wonder she couldn't remember something like that. "I guess I never thought of it that way."

"Sweet pea, has he ever done anything to you to warrant such scorn? You've only been in the same school as him for a little over a month."

' _Not until recently,'_ she thought. "I barely talk to him. I guess he hasn't said anything offensive, but I'm sure he thinks lowly of me and the other people from this area."

"You know this for sure?" Tifa didn't respond. "You two may have more in common than you think. Maybe think about that when you see him again. Speaking of, are you going back tomorrow?"

Tifa listlessly skimmed the surface of her soup with her spoon. "Yeah, he asked me for more help."

Her father got up from his chair as he did so. "Well you're going to need this," he said grabbing something from the adjacent laundry room. He came back to show Tifa her spare uniform wrapped in plastic, neatly pressed and folded. "I had it taken in last week. My buddy got me a nice discount. I wasn't going to get it until this weekend, but I rushed over as soon as I heard my daughter was going to the Shinra mansion."

Tifa smiled. "Dad, it's wonderful!" She didn't have her clothes pressed often but relished the opportunity every time they were. "I guess it's a good thing I'm going back. But I really don't see the need to dress up for them."

Her father laughed. "I guess not. But your current uniform his been getting a little ratty lately. Plus there's some extra cash in the pocket for some shopping this weekend."

Tifa looked down and saw that her shirt was rather wrinkly and had a few stains, now more visible from the harsher lighting in her house. "Thanks, dad." She hugged him close.

"Anything for you sweet pea."

* * *

The next day Tifa came to the school as usual. The buzz from the previous day of Rufus Shinra was still in full swing, but calmed down somewhat when Tifa showed up, then the buzz turned to whispers. "You're back!" Aerith sweetly greeted her with a hug. "How did it go?" The two were in full view of their circle, so Tifa made sure not to mention anything about her Materia.

"Fine I guess. He doesn't talk much," she responded.

"He never talks in our classes either," said Zack, nudging Cloud.

"Yeah, he's usually surrounded by women anyway, but I've hardly said two words to the guy," said Cloud.

"I'll try again tonight," Tifa whispered to Aerith. She merely nodded in response.

"Your clothes look nice," Aerith said aloud. "You look great today."

Her friends all agreed, and they were promptly scattered to their respective classes, including Materia class, where Zangan was briefed on how her study session with Rufus went. "You'll have his homework back tomorrow then?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Tifa responded.

She took her seat and pored over her notes in the few minutes before the lecture began. And well manicured hand slapped down on the table in front of her.

"So…" the voice trailed in her ears, "what did Shinra say to you?"

Tifa glanced up and saw the ever-perfect Scarlet looking at her. "What do you mean?" Tifa asked.

"Don't play dumb! If you can help it. Why the hell would you go to his house? He must have asked for you, otherwise why would he want to talk to you anyway? I never see him talk to you."

Tifa clutched her fist and remembered her conversation she had with him. "Why would he talk to _you_?!" Scarlet was visibly taken aback by her outburst. "I don't see _you_ talking to him either! Or anyone else! So mind your own damn business and get your head out of your ass!"

Scarlet was silent, obviously trying to find the words for a witty comeback. "Whatever!" was all she managed as she took her seat and the lecture began.

The rest of the day followed as she thought it would. Everyone surrounded her with whispers and the occasional glare. Some of the more bolder girls came up to her, demanding to know what she did for Shinra, or sometimes even Zangan, to warrant her visiting with Rufus. Tifa answered them all the same way: a look of annoyance and silence. By last period, no one bothered her anymore. She had made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it. For some reason, this evolved into rumors spreading that she was sworn to secrecy by the company, and being paid large sums of money for her silence. Tifa could only wish.

In gym class, Tifa and Aerith jogged closely again. "I really hope you don't feel the need to absolutely have to do this for me," Aerith told her.

"It's nothing, I promise!" Tifa huffed. "He shouldn't take what doesn't belong to him."

"Did he open up to you at all? He was so quiet when he was outside. He used to be brought to our community jungle gym when I was little. He stopped before he turned ten though."

Tifa put the clues together. "Yeah that's probably because his mom died around then."

Aerith paused. "Oh yeah I remember that."

"Let's not talk about him. I have to deal enough with him when I see him after school."

Aerith nodded. "Zack can probably take you again tonight. He's off work."

"That's good, thanks."

When the final bell rang, Tifa again hopped into Zack's car after he kissed Aerith goodbye. The two were more chatty this time around. Zack discussed how he and Cloud were planning on joining SOLDIER when they graduated.

"You're going to work for _them_?" asked Tifa, incredulously.

Zack laughed. "I know it's not ideal, but we want to make something of ourselves, and if they're willing to take us, then yes."

Tifa shook her head slowly. "Shinra this, Shinra that. Everyone loves Shinra. How does Aerith feel about this?"

Zack sighed. "We haven't told her yet. I don't think she'll take it well. But if I can at least explain that making the elite rank will allow us to live together, then maybe she'll be more acceptable. You won't say anything will you?"

"No. But if you two are in it for the long haul, then you should let her know as soon as possible."

Zack nodded. He went on to excited tell Tifa what Zack and Cloud were planning when they would room together at training. Tifa enjoyed the planned antics and wished them both the best. After all, the end of the year would be coming up soon and it was good to have a plan. She wondered about Yuffie now: would she stay here or go to Wutai? Would any of them return to Nibelheim when they left? It was a chilling thought. Tifa didn't want to let go of her friends.

Before she could dwell on it too much, Zack had pulled into the front of Shinra Manor once again. She stepped out and Zack waved her goodbye. She felt more confident going in this time. Maybe it was the familiarity or perhaps her fresh pressed clothes, but she belonged here now. It was her mission, her goal. She wouldn't be intimidated now.

Tifa rang the doorbell and was greeted by the same woman as before. There was a noticeably more muted tone when she entered. She remembered that President Shinra was probably back now. With few words, she was led to Rufus' room once again to begin his tutoring. When she entered his room, he didn't greet her as he did the day before. He was at the table, rubbing his face and staying silent, as if he was agitated. She was hesitant at first, but set her books down beside him after a considerable pause. "Mr. Zangan wants your work turned in tomorrow," she said.

Rufus sighed. "Oh does he?" he said.

Tifa huffed slightly. Any disrespect to her, she could handle, but her favorite professor, not at all. "Yes!" she shouted.

Rufus looked up at her. With his hands away from his face, she saw that he was tired; like he hadn't slept since she saw him last. He had dark circles under his slightly blood-shot eyes. His expression was fatigued and he wore a simple long black sleeved shirt and slacks, a far cry from the couture clothing she was used to seeing him in. "Aren't you feisty today?" he said wryly.

"Look, you asked me to be here and I came. If you really take this stuff seriously, so will I! I don't want to play games now."

"Nice clothes," he said, flatly.

"They were pressed yesterday," she said through clenched teeth. She was confused that he would notice such things. She roughly flipped open their books. "Let's get started."

Rufus gave her a hard glare but conceded when he saw that Tifa wasn't backing down from her no-nonsense attitude. Tifa reviewed his work and asked him how he got certain answers. He responded and Tifa helped him get to the correct conclusion after some explanation. He didn't seem too interested, but Tifa did her best to stay professional. After an hour, he seemed to relax a bit. Tifa tried her best to remember that their problems probably weren't too different, but it was increasingly difficult when she was faced with his indifference.

"Thus, the Materia is neutralized when faced with a separate element," Tifa finished.

"Huh, how interesting."

"Is it? You've sounded unenthused since I got here." The stiff silence between got to her, and she felt the walls closing in.

"It is." Rufus stood up and shook his head slightly. "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

Rufus stood up and walked to the bathroom, passing by his bed and end table that no longer housed Aerith's Materia and his picture frame. Tifa surmised that he probably moved it by now. She watched Rufus close the door behind him and heard the faint sounds of rushing water behind the closed door. _'He's taking a shower while I'm here? How rude!'_ she thought.

She wanted to pound on the door and tell him she was leaving, but she thought this might be a good opportunity to look around while he was distracted. She started by the looking in the drawers of the end table first and, to her luck, she found the picture frame and the Materia. She lifted the frame and saw that the glass was shattered, as if it had been thrown in the drawer. The chain on which the Materia hung looked tangled as if it was hastily discarded as well.

Tifa bit her lip. She still heard the rushing water. She threw the Materia in her pocket and shut the drawer as quietly as she could. She heard the water stop from behind the door and ran back to the table just in time to see Rufus come back from the bathroom. His face was wet and a few loose strands on his forehead clung to his skin.

Tifa wondered what he was doing, but didn't bother to ask him. Now that she had her bounty, she wanted to leave as fast as she could.

"Do you mind if I take a quick walk real quick? I just…need some fresh air."

"Sure. Just hurry back so we can finish up, you don't want your dad to worry."

 _'Weird'_ Tifa thought. _'Why is he bringing my dad up?'_ She walked through the doors and wanted nothing more than to bolt out of the foyer and run straight home. But she couldn't, she realized after she was able to gather her thoughts. She left her books and his homework. She was agitated with the thought of having to go back but took the time to walk through the enormous halls. She knew she was lucky to be here, especially after all of the feedback she got from school mates and her dad. She aimlessly wandered around until she saw dim yellow light and quiet voices coming down the hall. She heard the unmistakable voice of the President entertaining.

She didn't want to intrude, but couldn't help but feel curious when Rufus' name came up in the conversation. Cautiously, she walked as close as she could to the slightly ajar door.

"And then the boy tried to use Materia on me! Can you believe it?" the President slurred. "On _me_!"

"What for?" Came a voice.

"Who knows? He tried to say the recent drillings were a bad idea, tried to use it on me, but left in a huff." There was a pause and Tifa could smell tobacco permeate the air. "The boy has always been out of sorts since his mother's passing. It's such a trouble. So any news on the Chocobo races?"

Tifa rolled her eyes and turned heel, hearing the conversation drone on about gambling. As she walked back the way she came, she thought a bit more about Rufus and his situation. She hated him, she knew it. But perhaps her father had a point. Maybe the two of them did have more in common than she thought. In her musings, she was surprised that she easily made her way back to the double doors of Rufus' room. She took a deep breath, knowing she had to at least say goodbye.

She opened the door and saw Rufus sitting on his bed near the drawer where the Materia was. He was slumped over, his head leaning into one of his open palm. Tifa moved slowly toward him and saw that the drawer was open. "You came back?" asked Rufus, not bothering to look at her.

Tifa bit her lip. "I forgot my books," she said flatly.

"You didn't forget the Materia." He slammed the drawer shut so loudly, Tifa jumped slightly.

She quickly regained her composure, instead letting anger take the wheel. "No, I didn't." There was a long pause. "Why did you do it, Rufus?"

Rufus stared straight ahead of him, leaning on his legs. "When the kidnapping threats starting coming in after the Holy Land drilling plans became public, my father didn't do anything. I still had to go to school and move about as freely as always. One time I was gone for six days, hiding, and he didn't even notice. So I've been here, not going to school for my own safety."

Tifa pieced it together. Rufus had tried to use the Materia to change his father's mind. She knew that it didn't work that way, and she had an inkling that he did too. But what other choice did he have? "I get that, but…you really shouldn't take things that don't belong to you."

"Don't you have somewhere to be? Won't your dad worry?" Rufus slumped further and his shoulders began shaking. She heard him sniffle.

 _'He's_ crying _?'_ she thought. She wanted more than ever to run away now, to get away from him before she felt sympathy for someone she disliked so passionately up until now. Tifa sighed and let her more warm personality get the better of her. She sat beside him and gently rubbed his back. "Look, I want to say I know what you're going through, I lost my mother too. But my dad will always be there for me. I'm sorry yours doesn't do the same. But you have a lot to be thankful for, don't forget that."

Rufus stilled, and then turned and hugged her. Tifa stiffened at the contact, but relaxed when she felt his warmth. All of the times she saw him, he had so many walls around him, he was so untouchable, yet here he was now, vulnerable and human. Tifa wasn't sure what to do next, so she just rubbed his back so more, feeling awkward as she did it. "It's okay. Everything will be okay."

Rufus leaned back and Tifa could see into his glassy, blue eyes, stained red from his sobbing. She gave him a faint smile to reassure him. Then, in an instant, he grabbed her face and kissed her. Tifa squealed behind her closed mouth as her eyes flew open. Rufus was holding onto her so tight as Tifa desperately tried wiggled away from him. She finally gained enough leverage to shove him off and then bolted upright and ran towards the door.

In her mind, her inner voice kept saying _'Get out, get out, get out.'_ In her haste, she realized that she left her books in his room as she was crossing the lawn, but didn't bother to turn back. She had made it to the bus stop and sighed with relief when she remembered her father had slipped cash to her the night before. Paying the fee, Tifa sat on the empty bus, thinking about what had just happened. She hadn't kissed a boy before. First Shinra robs her family of money with the large electricity bills and now their kid robs her of her first kiss. She would have some explaining to do with Professor Zangan. She left her books as well as Rufus' homework.

When she arrived home, she made a beeline to through the gate and into the home. When she burst into the house, her dad was at the kitchen stove, making dinner. She ran past him and into the bathroom.

"Welcome home, sweet pea," he called after her.

Tifa slammed the door and locked herself in the bathroom and immediately ran the hot water in the bathroom tub. She heard her father knocking at the door. "Tifa, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, dad!" she called back, over the rushing water. "I just…fell into some dirt. Wanted to wash off. Be out in a minute!"

"Okay, dinner in five!"

Tifa stripped off her clothes and stepped into the hot shower, making sure she didn't lose Aerith's Materia. She began scrubbing herself furiously, replaying the day's events in her mind. _'Why did he do that?'_ she thought to herself. _'Him of all people.'_

After a considerable amount of time, Tifa left the bathroom and put on her pajamas. She went to the dining room like this and saw her father had finished already. She heard him tinkering in the other room and kept to herself, not wanting to say anything about Rufus. When she was almost done with her work, she heard the doorbell ring. She kept eating as she heard her father answer.

"Oh, my….what an unexpected pleasure," she heard her father say. "Tifa! There's someone here to see you!" Tifa froze. She didn't have to ask who it was. She bit her lip and stood up, walking to the door. Her father pulled her aside before she could open the front door fully. "Do you know who's here? How does he know where you live?"

Tifa shrugged. "I guess nothing is out of reach for his family," Tifa answered. "I'll take care of him, just go."

Her father looked hesitant but nodded and went into the other room.

When Tifa opened the front door, she saw Rufus Shinra there, decked out in his most luxurious white clothing and hair, his face blank and stern, as she had always seen it at school. He held some sort of bundle in his arms. "Hello, Miss Lockhart," he said.

"What do you want?" Tifa answered impatiently.

"You left your books. And I'm sure Zangan would want my homework as well."

Rufus handed the bundle to her and she took it, albeit hesitantly. "Th-thank you." Atop the bundle, she saw a neat envelope addressed to her. "What is this?" she said, opening it. Inside she found a check for a substantial amount of gil. More than she would ever see in ten years working at the shop. "What is this for?"

"That should help you through college."

"I don't want your money," she said flatly, making a motion to tear the paper in half.

"It's not a handout. You have a real passion for this, Tifa. I want you to pursue it. It's not a bribe, or a payoff. I just…want you to do well."

"What's going to happen when we return to school then? When it gets out that you gave me money?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll be moving to Junon this week. I won't be finishing up at Nibelheim High. I'll take private tutoring to finish up. You won't have to be seeing me again."

Tifa was stunned. She wanted to throw the money back in his face, but she knew this opportunity would never come again, even if it was from the person she hated the most. Tifa didn't say anything, merely started at him. Rufus pursed his lips and nodded and turned to leave. "Rufus…" she shakily said. Rufus stopped and turned to face her again. His eyebrows were raised in question. "Some time I am going to want to talk to you about everything… it's just not going to be today."

Rufus was silent for a moment, but finally said, "Okay then." He turned heel and entered the car the was waiting for him on the street. Tifa watched him drive off and wondered when she would ever see him again. As fate would have it, Tifa, in her later years, would join a resistance group and find herself face to face with Rufus Shinra once more three years later; only this time, the two had even more to talk about….


	7. Seeing Heaven

Hello Folks,

Keep those prompts coming! A short one for today. I think I'm starting to get the writing bug again but I'm feeling uninspired as of late. Also I'd like to point out that I was bartender before and, yes, all of the cocktails mentioned in this story are real. And yes. I have tried them all. Enjoy!

Prompt: One year after Meteor struck, Rufus and co find themselves in Tifa's new bar in one eventful evening.

Rating: M

* * *

The evening was typical as far as Friday nights ago. Well, the business side was at least typical enough. All of the usual customers came in as they always did to start the weekend. Some patrons still had the smeared black on their faces, indicating they were all ready to unwind from a hard day's work. Tifa liked these nights. Despite the larger crowds, most of them kept to their own groups that only requested pitchers of beer to be served at their table, instead of complex cocktails young couples would order during the week.

Tifa was grateful to have some help from two residents of the town, so she was able to spend most of her time behind the bar and greet everyone coming in. She began polishing glass, trying to stay busy and not think too hard on what had transpired the previous evening. Cloud had left again. For good, she couldn't say, but she had a strong feeling she wouldn't see him for a while. It had been six months since he had invited her to his bed on a regular basis. They would spend almost every other night sleeping together, while the kids were in their deepest slumber, even though they both needed to be up early in the mornings.

Tifa was elated when Cloud finally started to seemingly reciprocate her feelings, but it quickly became evident that Cloud was using her body, evidenced by the fact that she rarely experienced full release. She tried to deny it, after all, some nights she would be so exhausted from the daily rush she didn't want to anything, but Cloud would roll out all of the right words and until she agreed. Those nights were what gave her hope. But as the present drew closer and closer, those days came less and less. Cloud would roll over and not even bother to hold her. Finally, two nights ago, the day before the day he left, Cloud couldn't even bring himself to finish. He kept plunging into her, long after Tifa no longer derived pleasure from it, until she finally told him to stop.

"Look, this isn't…this isn't working," Tifa said. "You're obviously thinking of someone or something else. I'm not interested in being used by you anymore, Cloud."

A small argument ensued, entirely in whispers so as to not wake the children. Cloud was openly hostile to Tifa's accusations, but she could see the guilt written plainly on his face. Then Cloud admitted he had been trying to find dates around town just before they started sleeping together, but couldn't talk to girls comfortably. Tifa was infuriated, demanding to know why she wasn't good enough. Cloud only told her that he didn't know how to connect with her emotionally. As if she believed that, but she didn't press the matter. It wouldn't change anything.

Tifa got up from the sweaty bed and toweled off in the hallway bathroom. When she emerged, Cloud's bedroom door had been shut and Tifa walked lightly to her room. The next morning he was gone. Tifa had assumed it was just a delivery and that'd he'd be back in the evening or at least by the next day. When he still didn't show up, Tifa was almost certain he'd be gone for a while. It pained her more than anything that Cloud, her best friend, her only connection to her old life, could not see her for what she was: a person. A person that cared for him so deeply, she was willing to raise the child he brought home as her own; as _their_ own.

Tifa didn't relay this to anyone and no one asked. Cloud's absence from the bar was normal and patrons found it more noteworthy when he was around than when he wasn't. Tifa replayed some of their argument in her head, when one of her workers, Lucas, came up to her. "Miss Tifa, we just got a call ahead from one of Shinra's people," he said. "I think it's the Turks!"

Tifa could see the excitement on his face. He had told her when he was hired that he was saving up to move to a place where he could train to become a Turk. "Set up the corner table for them," said Tifa. "I'll pull out some of the top shelf variety."

Lucas did so quickly and came back to her to assist her with the top shelf liquor. "Are all the things I read about you true? That you know them?"

"I didn't _know_ them. But yes, we did run into each other several times in our travels." Tifa, who already was morose about living in the past, suddenly found herself there again with this reminiscing with Lucas.

"I heard that Rude liked you." He bit his lower lip and gave her a silly smile.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Could've fooled me when he came at me with raised fists." The memory made her laugh. "And now I'm going to serve him and his comrades today. How's that for poetic justice?"

Lucas seemed oblivious to her comment. "Can I wait on them? Please!"

"Not at first, Lucas. You still need to complete your rounds with the customers you started with. I'll handle them. But when you clear up you can assist later. Just let me know when they're here."

He nodded excitedly. "Thanks, Miss Tifa!" He gave her a playful hug and happily went back to serving everyone else.

Tifa sighed and went to the back room to check her PHS on the off chance Cloud sent her a message letting her know he'd be home soon. It was a fool's errand, she knew. She didn't even know why she checked. She knew she'd be sleeping in bed alone from now on, and the children were picked up by Barret that morning for a weekend on the beach, leaving her alone in the whole home. The back door swung open and smacked her on her bottom as Lucas excitedly poked his head through, announcing the Shinra employees' presence.

He ran around the door and looked out the circular window with Tifa. "Look at their uniforms! They're so cool! And look! The President's here too! His suit is so clean! How do they do that?"

Tifa was silent the whole time as Lucas gushed. She had expected all of the Turks, but not their boss. Cloud relayed to her what his role was in taking down Sephiroth was, and she almost laughed when Cloud told her Rufus acknowledged that he owes the planet a lot. What did he know of the full extent of his company's actions? He was only trying to clean up his own mess, not to mention almost had her executed for trying to save the planet.

But that was a long time ago. It seemed that collectively staring death in the face gave everyone a new outlook, and a new reason to forgive and move on. It took some doing, but the Turks coming in every so often didn't bother her anymore. But now they brought Rufus. The experience was new to her. She smoothed her apron and walked to the corner table and was immediately greeted by Reno.

"Thanks for saving our best table, love," he said.

The three other men smirked and laughed, while Elena was rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile of her own. "I see you brought the big boss, today," said Tifa, eyeing Rufus up and down. It was the first time she was face to face with him since her attempted execution.

"I wanted to see what the fuss was about," Rufus said. "Plus I haven't been getting out much, running the new company and all."

Tifa forced a smile. "What can I get you all?" The four Turks ordered their usual assortment of cocktails and straight liquor, the components of which Tifa had already prepared in the back. Then she turned to Rufus.

"I'll have a sparkling Rosé."

"We don't have that here. The only wine we serve is Chardonnay and Merlot, both Midgar Winery."

Rufus grimaced. "You mean that patch of land near the Chocobo Farm? Why not just put liquor in grape juice and call it a blend?"

The Turks laughed. Tifa didn't. "Well that's all we have. Take it or leave it."

The laughing stopped. "I'll have what Rude ordered."

Tifa turned and went behind the bar. The exchange went better than Tifa thought, at the very least. She carefully mixed all of the drinks as she saw patrons start to head home. The Shinra group arrived rather late, and Tifa was uncomfortable with the idea of them being in the bar all alone with her. She went back to the table and served the group.

She carefully placed the coasters and the drinks down. "Here you are, White Russian, Cosmopolitan, Red Headed Slut for you, Reno, and two Whiskey Sours."

They were all obviously in good spirits, laughing and chatting. To Tifa, seeing Rufus show laughter and emotion was surprisingly, considering how cold he always seemed to be. "Miss Lockhart I must apologize for my remark. As I understand fine wine is very expensive to import," Rufus said. The way he spoke sounded insincere to Tifa, but she took it in stride.

"No problem, Mr. Shinra. Please enjoy your drink. Just let me know what else you would like. And please call me Tifa."

"Call me Rufus." He gave her a toothy grin and downed half of his drink after he did so.

Reno downed his entire cocktail. "Another one of these, love!"

After bringing the third round of drinks, Tifa felt much more relaxed. Rufus' presence melded into the atmosphere she was used to when the Turks came into the bar. She even stopped and laughed with them for a few brief minutes before helping out on the rest of the floor. As the patrons thinned out, the Turks became louder and louder with their laughter. Pretty soon almost all of the others had left and Tifa sent her second worker home, leaving just her and Lucas.

Tifa brought the fourth round of drinks to the table. "Hey doll, why not stay and sit with us? You're not busy right now," Reno offered, a slight red blush on his cheeks from the alcohol.

"Oh I couldn't…." Tifa said.

"Please, Miss Tifa, we insist," said Tseng.

Lucas came up behind her. "It'll be alright ma'am," he told her. "I can wait on you guys."

Tifa shrugged and sat down in an empty chair at the table.

"We were just talking about how we ran into you in the sunken Gelnika," said Reno. "Remember?"

Tifa stiffened. "Yes I do. If I recall correctly we gave you and Rude a run for your money."

Everyone but Reno and Rude laughed. "So that's why you weren't able to plunder it for supplies," said Rufus.

"It was pretty close," said Reno meekly.

Tifa cracked a smile, feeling the tension lift slightly. "So he says," Tifa said. Everyone laughed this time, including her. Behind her Lucas served her a simple cocktail she would often mix for herself after bar hours. "Oh Lucas, I don't need to drink while I'm working."

"Take the drink, Tifa," said Elena. "You've worked hard enough for today."

Lucas pressed the cocktail into her hands. "I got this, miss. Don't worry about it."

Tifa reluctantly drank. The fresh taste of the cucumber vodka invigorated her. Maybe she could enjoy some company over drinks. Heaven knows that she could use a drink after the revelation from two days ago. It didn't take long for the next round to come that Tifa loosened up considerably. She laughed with the Turks over old times when they were enemies, their past skirmishes no longer a sore subject. She didn't hear Rufus speak much but he did laugh with the others. Tifa found his smile alluring. He always seemed so stressed running the company, but when he laughed he looked ten years younger.

"So what's Strife been up to?" asked Reno.

Tifa took another gulp. "Nothing new," Tifa said, a common answer she gave when anyone asked. "He's out right now."

No one pressed the matter further. Tifa looked around and saw that all of the patrons have gone and Lucas was cleaning up the bar. He gave her a thumbs up to keep carrying on. Perhaps he wanted to show the Turks he was a hard worker without being asked. It didn't bother Tifa though, she was having a good time.

"You're not going to kick us out now, are you?" asked Reno. Tifa shook her head and smiled. "Good!" Reno stood and walked to the other side of the bar where the pinball machine and the jukebox was. "Come on Rude! Let's play some pinball!" Rude got up to join him as he turned up the music.

"That employee of yours is quite a hard worker," said Tseng.

"He wants to make a good impression for you guys," Tifa responded. "He hopes to be one of you one day."

Elena clapped her hands. She was clearly a bit more intoxicated than the rest. "Oh how exciting! I'm going to tell him all about it." She stood and stumbled over to the bar where Lucas was.

"Elena! Be careful!" Tseng stood up and went after her.

Tifa and Rufus were silent for a moment. She felt the uncomfortable feeling set in again. Without the Turks around to act as a buffer, Tifa didn't know what to say. "I must say, your bar is a fun place to be," said Rufus, breaking the silence.

"Thank you. I'm sorry we don't have the fine drinks you're accustomed to," Tifa said playfully, trying to ease the tension.

"You seem anxious." He seemed to read her thoughts. "Do you not like being alone with me?"

Tifa sighed. "Well last time we were alone you were telling me I was to be executed."

Rufus raised his eyebrows slightly. "Yes, seems so long ago." He smirked.

Tifa was a little irritated that he thought the situation as funny. "I don't really see the humor in it. I barely got out of there." Rufus laughed as he threw his head back. With his upturned face she could his cheeks under the lights. There was a slight blush on them from the alcohol. So he was getting away with himself too. Tifa almost stood up, frowning. She was stopped when Rufus motioned her to him with his finger.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Tifa shrugged still frowning. He patted the now empty seat next to him. "Okay but you have to come here so no one else can hear me." Tifa sighed, not enjoying his childlike behavior. She sat near him but kept half an arm's length between them. She leaned in close as Rufus whispered into her ear. "I ordered the soldier to drop the key for you."

Tifa shot back away from him, shocked. It took her a moment to register what he had just said. "You mean you…wanted me to escape?"

Rufus flicked his hair. "Of course. I very well couldn't have the planet's best chance of defeating Sephiroth die because of me. I had it all planned out, but couldn't risk telling you." Tifa's lower lip trembled. "It gets better. I ordered your prison cells unlocked when you were at the Shinra building, and left the key for you to the those vehicles in the lobby."

Tifa didn't know what to say. She didn't want to believe him, but it certainly made a lot of sense to her considering she chocked up to good luck until now. "Why? Why did you do all of those things? Why are you just telling me now?"

Rufus' smile disappeared. "I have my reasons."

"That's not the whole truth," Tifa pressed.

"Neither is Strife merely _out_ for the next few days."

Tifa looked away. "What do you mean?"

"I can see it written plainly on your face. I wouldn't get much business done if I couldn't read someone's true feelings through their choice words. Strife is gone, isn't he?"

"I don't know. I don't care if I never see him again. But the children will undoubtedly ask questions. What do you care anyway?"

"Because whether you like or not," he motioned to the other Turks around the bar, Reno and Rude playing pinball, Elena and Tseng talking to Lucas, "all of our lives are intertwined. Our past and now our futures. I guess you can say I….care….about what's going on with you guys."

Tifa was more touched than she realized. She looked up at Rufus and smiled. She saw him in a completely different light now. She closed the distance between them and hugged him, feeling him stiffen in her embrace. "What're you…?" he began.

"Shh….If what you say is true, then this is long overdue."

Rufus did not return her embrace but he did relax and let Tifa meld into his chest. He looked down at her face when he felt her tilt her chin up. She had such a sweet smile, brightness in her red eyes, and a slight blush on her cheeks. The alcohol was getting to everyone in the building save for Lucas it seemed. Tifa looked back down and pressed her nose into his chest. "Your heart's beating quickly," came her muffled voice. Rufus stiffened again.

Tifa pulled away and already missed the warmth of another body. She straightened her hair. "Sorry, I don't mean to go out of line," she said shyly.

"No, no…it's okay." Rufus fidgeted.

Tifa tilted her head as she watched Rufus shift about. She had seen it several times with younger men she came in contact with. She started to giggle slightly. "You don't…come in contact with other people often do you?"

Rufus cleared this throat. "That is none of your concern."

"But look at you! I give you an innocent hug and you're turning into a blushing mess."

Rufus defensively looked away. "It's not like that! I just…don't have time for things like that."

Tifa was deeply amused by this man who, before coming into the bar that evening, epitomized control and coldness. But now she saw him as a man who was so wrapped up in his company's affairs that he didn't know how to interact with woman beyond business. "Hey Rufus, what do you like to do for fun?" she asked, deciding to ease him from his anxiety.

"Fun? I don't have much of that. If I'm lucky I get a couple of hours to myself to read a night, or play piano."

Tifa's eyes widened. "You play too! That's amazing. How long have you been playing?"

"Oh since I was about five. I try to fit in while I can."

"I used to play too. When I was younger.'

"Oh yes? Tell me more…"

Soon Rufus and Tifa found themselves in a casual conversation, something Tifa didn't think would ever happen. She was surprised at how much she had in common with the young president despite the different social backgrounds and upbringing. Rufus touched on his family life, or lack thereof, and admitted he thought of Tseng as more a brother and father than his own family members. The more he spoke, the more she relaxed she felt. He was a handsome man now that she didn't look at him as the face of evil. "I used to go wandering outside of the mansion in Nibelheim when I was a kid," he said. "Until the beasts got too aggressive thanks to the mako drilling in the area."

Tifa huffed triumphantly. "Didn't stop me! I was climbing up and down that mountain at least fifty times a year, leading your people to the reactor." Rufus smiled at that, and gave her a look that she was all too familiar with around men, and yawned. "Oh no! Don't do that, now I'm going to-" Tifa couldn't finish her sentence until she yawned as well. "No! Yawns are contagious." She stretched and leaned her head on his shoulder. She looked at the small table, now cleared of the many empty glasses thanks to Lucas. She felt a little hazy but she still had a good grip on the situation. She was next to Rufus Shinra, the man that, up until a couple hours ago, she accused of some of the worst wrongdoings to her and her team.

"Tifa…?" he asked.

"Sorry…" she said as she tilted her head up off his shoulder, only for him to put his arm around her and put it back.

"No that's okay, you can stay there. Are you going to be okay by yourself here? Once we leave?"

"Oh yes. Being alone in this building is nothing new to me. I don't enjoy it but I'll live." Rufus stiffened again, as if he wanted to say something but didn't. Tifa didn't want to sound desperate, but knew what Rufus was thinking, remembering the look he gave her. "Would you like to stay here….tonight?" She stared at the table when she asked, her heart beating, laying out her own vulnerability.

Rufus moved to speak but was interrupted by a noticeably more inebriated Rude. "Boss, Reno's getting a bit out of hand," he said, behind him Reno drunkenly tried to play pinball and not fall over. He swayed back and forth while he spoke, frowning behind his shaded glasses as he glimpsed Tifa's head on Rufus' shoulder. "We should go," he suggested sternly.

"Rude, why don't you and the others find a way home? I'll catch up later."

Tifa felt a fierce burn on her cheeks, knowing what Rufus meant by that. She looked around and saw that the bar was nicely cleaned while Lucas finished counting out the receipts. Rude rounded up Elena and Tseng and the three then got Reno. "Meet me upstairs," she whispered as she got up and went over to Lucas. "Good work tonight, Lucas. You can go home now," she said.

"Thanks, Tifa. This was one of the best nights of my life!" he said excitedly. "The Turks even want me to drive them home!"

"Good, do that now. I'll lock up."

Lucas nodded and left. Tifa nervously locked everything up, knowing Rufus was upstairs. Judging by his behavior, he was probably just a tense as she was. She couldn't deny her attraction to him, and he not so subtly admitted he cared about her and her friends. Tifa thought for a moment and didn't want to look at this as just a replacement for Cloud. Rufus already showed her he cared for her more than Cloud with just his words, something Cloud couldn't do with his whole body.

Tifa shut off the lights and ran upstairs. She saw the light to Cloud's room on, realizing she hadn't told him which room was hers. But it was okay, Cloud's bed was made and his room had fewer furniture, so it was cleaner than hers. She walked into his room and found Rufus sitting on the full sized bed with his coat off. He was breathing deeply.

"Are you…nervous?" she asked. "We don't have to do anything. You can go home, I'll be okay here."

"No. That's not it. I want to stay. I want to do this."

Tifa bit her lip and nodded. She was nervous too. "Have you done this before?"

"A couple of times. Years ago. Before I became President."

"I'm shocked. I would have thought you'd be…well, never mind that." She kicked off her work shoes and unzipped her blouse with shaky hands. The more nervous she saw Rufus, the more confident she felt. For once it felt like she was in control, and this time she knew Rufus wanted to be with her now. Maybe not romantically, she didn't know that for sure, but intimately. "Would you be more comfortable with the lights off?"

Rufus shook his head. "No. I want to see all of you."

Tifa blushed and nodded in response. She let her clothing drop to the floor and stood with her back straightened, watching Rufus' usually controlled face melt into something of pure awe. Tifa did not attempt to cover herself, she was through with false modesty. The scars she bore from her past life were a part of her now and Rufus would just have to accept that. After a long silence of staring of Rufus' dumfounded face, Tifa finally said, "Take your clothes off."

He hastily stood and fumbled with his clothing, rendered silent by Tifa's forwardness. Rufus' fumbling with his coat and pants turned her on, finally seeing a more clumsy, human side of the all-power Rufus. Impatiently, she took the bottom of his pant leg and ripped them off. He was shocked but gave her a knowing smirk in return. He took pulled his shirt over his head and wriggled out of his boxers as Tifa dove in for a kiss.

It was searing and forceful. Rufus returned Tifa's passion with an inexperienced but ardent display. She played chaste kisses along his jawline as he leaned back, pulling Tifa on top of him. She squirmed, feeling his length between her thighs, eager and ready. Tifa moved from atop him onto her left side, her right leg draped over his waist, facing him. She took his hand and placed his on her breast, hearing Rufus gasp as she did so. He busied himself with them as she went in for another kiss.

"Tifa…." Rufus breathed against her lips. "You're wonderful."

Normally Tifa would find his choice of words odd, but she didn't care. He spoke her name. He was fully aware she was there and was enjoying himself. She was so happy in that moment. She guided his hand further down her stomach to her mound, letting him find the wet heat, causing her to gasp. Rufus' movements were tentative, and his eyes were close, face brimming with concentration.

Tifa felt the heat rise in her. Maybe it was because someone was putting forth to pleasure _her_ for a change. Seeing Rufus trying so hard to please her tipped her over the edge as she curled her toes and dug her nails in the sheets beside her. When Tifa opened her eyes, she saw that Rufus was looking at her intently. "You sure you haven't done this in a while?" she breathed.

He only smiled in return and got on top of her. For a brief moment she considered protection, but the thought disappeared quickly as he entered her smoothly. He withdrew and plunged into her again, making her moan. He was slow and gentle, but Tifa quickly grew anxious. "Faster!" she shouted, more loudly than she wanted. Thank goodness the children weren't home.

Rufus' expression didn't register her command for a brief moment. He was enjoying himself too. He answered her plea by giving her what she wanted. The friction and the relentless thrusting was making her head spin. "Oh Tifa," he breathed.

She wrapped her legs around him and matched his rhythm. "Oh Rufus, don't stop!" she shouted again. He went on for as long as he could and felt a familiar heat bloom inside of her. Rufus was completely still, feeling the last aftershocks of orgasm. He collapsed to her side, breathing heavily. "Strife…is….a fool…" he managed to say.

She held him close. "Yes, and he's gone," she said. The two of them breathed heavily for a while until they calmed down. Tifa got up and turned off the light and joined him in bed again. She had thought he fell asleep, but was surprised when she felt his mouth latch onto her breast. She was relaxed and reveled in the sensations. They didn't quite get to sleep until much later.

In the early morning hours, Tifa could feel herself pressed to the crook of Rufus' neck. She wasn't quite awake yet, but heard the distant sounds of the cars and motorcycles pass by. She shifted to her other side and let Rufus spoon her. She had almost thought she heard a door close in the home, but that couldn't be right. A silence followed. She knew she was just hearing things. She almost let sleep take her again when she heard the door to the bedroom open and a rather large duffle bag drop to the floor. Her eyes flew open to see Cloud, standing in the door way with flowers crushed in his hand and his jaw practically on the floor.


	8. First Kiss

Hi Folks, I just beat FF7 again recently and made Emerald and Ruby Weapon my biiiiiiitches. Heh. That sort of inspired this chapter. Well not really but enjoy it anyway.

Prompt: Shortly after the WEAPONS escape the Northern Crater, an unconscious Tifa catches the eye of the young president.

Rated: T

* * *

The force could be felt for miles no doubt. Rufus was rushed to the airship along with his comrades and the ever-annoying AVALANCHE as their prisoners. Strife was long gone, he was certain. When the Weapons ejected from the earth and into the air, the Highwind violently shook. Rufus grabbed the railing to keep from toppling over the side and into the abyss. He caught sight of his subordinates scrambling on the lower deck.

"Bring the prisoners down below deck, NOW!" he shouted with a such a force some would swear that the ship shook again.

Not even a few minutes of resting passed in the quarters he commandeered for himself before his men informed him that the prisoners were detained below and that they were all unconscious from the blast. Rufus nodded. He never got any time to himself these days. "I want to see them," said Rufus.

"Sir?" the officer asked.

"Don't question me. If they awaken soon I want to talk to them personally." He had been waiting for weeks for a chance to confront the bastards that were a constant thorn in his side since he became president. He wanted to be the first person they saw should the awaken suddenly. He was escorted down below to the chocobo stable as the door was held open for them. He looked inside and saw the collapsed team sitting on the floor all chained up to the railing with their hands behind their backs. "Leave me," he called.

Mercifully, the crew shut the door behind him. Rufus let out a sigh. At least he was alone, sort of. He looked closely at the people. He recognized them, well most of them, from the night he became president. The escaped specimen, the boisterous miner, and then there was a busty brunette. He remembered her the most clearly, next to Strife. She was the one that had the gall to give him lip about how he liked to make speeches like his father. The dumb broad, what did she know?

He knelt down so that he was level with her sleeping face. Tifa was her name. If she were to wake now, what would he say to her? Would he inform her of the terrible fate that awaited her when they reached Junon? He could see her grovelling at his feet, maybe even offering herself to him in exchange for her life. He brushed some hair out of her closed eyes and looked at her face. She looked exhausted. In the harsh lighting of the stable, he could make out the faint gray under her eyes. He absentmindedly stroked her cheek, noting that she was quite attractive. In his musings, he realized he'd never even _touched_ a woman's face before. He found the thought humorous. He had all of the money and power in the world, yet he'd never touched a woman's face. Never even kissed one. He simply never had the time. How embarrassing if anyone ever knew.

But _he_ knew. He looked around him. The door was still closed. Everyone but him was unconscious in this space. He didn't know why he felt the need to think about this now. Maybe it was because of the looming doom that was ever present in everyone's mind; in _his_ mind. What if it all ended and there was nothing he could do about it? Would this be something he would regret passing up in his final moments? He looked at Tifa and supposed he could do worse. No one would know.

He cupped her chin and tilted her head up. Her face was so tranquil and at peace, it was easy for him to imagine that she was offering her pink lips to him willingly. He closed his eyes and pressed his mouth to hers. He held it there, using his free hand to run his fingers through her hair. It wasn't what he had expected. Her lips were plush, yes. Her hair was soft, sure. But she was still and she was breathing deeply through her nose in her sleeping state. Still, Rufus knew this opportunity would never come again with his life so much in the public eye. He heard of it in passing, that girls liked it when you playfully bit their bottom lip. He did so, sucked it lightly between his teeth and stroked it with his tongue. He heard the slightest moan escape from her throat.

Startled, he pulled back. He felt an unfamiliar heat on his cheeks. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. Of all the people to give his first kiss to, it had to be an unconscious woman that he'd been chasing all over the world so that she could answer for her crimes. He waited a moment for his blush to go away, and turned and walked out of the stable. "They're still out. Come get me if and when they wake up," he said, as he walked past them back to his quarters.


	9. Flowers

Prompt: It's a day to celebrate couples and Tifa's starting to feel a stinging awareness.

Rating: E

* * *

It had been a wonderful day for business. That is to say, for all restaurants and bars in town. Restaurants were swarming with happy couples while bars, like Tifa's, were swamped with single people looking for companionship, a quick romp, or some simple friendly company. It was a day Tifa both hated and loved. She loved the spike in business in the days leading up to this, but she loathed the fact that Cloud was out all day on deliveries. In the past couple of years the two had a routine. After Cloud finished his work and Tifa closed the bar, the two would spend an hour or two on the roof stargazing and telling of their fun adventures from that day.

Cloud had been uneasy around flowers at first. They all were. But as much as they symbolized their long deceased friend, they also symbolized growth and love. The two always made it a point to send flowers to that ancient place at the same time every year and now Cloud didn't mind the sentiment of sending flowers all over the world.

Lately things had gotten complicated however. Shinra was expanding again and Tifa and Cloud were summoned by the young president, Rufus, for matters concerning their business. Tseng put it bluntly in the meeting: they were still hailed as heroes for their work and Shinra needed some good PR buzz. Therefore it was proposed that the two came out publicly in favor or Shinra and the work they have done for the good of the planet. Tifa snorted and Cloud said they would think about it, letting Tifa know the entire way home how asinine Shinra sounded in light of recent events. He'd been so high strung lately with the huge influx of deliveries and Tifa having less time to hear about his problems. She tried her best to listen and help whenever he came to her, but their businesses were expanding, and with Shinra having them under a lens, it seemed to only get worse for him. That's when things started to shift.

Rufus began contacting Tifa directly wanting to set up new meetings, saying she was easier with whom to speak. She made is a point that she found it odd that _he_ would call her and not have one of his lackeys do so. That made him laugh, a faint chuckle she didn't know him capable of performing. She agreed to meet him once again, this time alone, if only to tell him they weren't interest. They met several times though, each time speaking less and less of PR matters and more about each other. She could remember crossing the point of no return not long ago. She remembered it quite vividly.

"That 'princess' Yuffie is quite the handful," Rufus said as he handed her a glass of water.

"Yes she's quite the character. I haven't seen her in a while, I would like to say hi," said Tifa.

"You should then. What's stopping you?"

Tifa sighed. "Business I guess. It'll be that time of the year again."

Rufus sat down next to her, closer than he had ever done. "What time of year?"

Tifa looked up from her glass. "You you know, that one day a year that celebrates love? Or I guess I should say relationships. Either way, it's a day people that are single are painfully aware of being single." She chuckled.

Rufus merely shrugged. "I can't say I know what you mean."

"You don't have to know. All it means for me is a busy couple of weeks. People want to prepare for the sting of loneliness a week before and others and to drown it out a week after. It's a busy time for both Cloud and I. I can't go anywhere."

"Why's Cloud so busy then?" Rufus brushed a loose strand of hair from Tifa's forehead. She wanted to shudder at the touch, but contained it the best she could.

"His deliveries spike too. Everyone sends flowers to their loved ones on that day. It's kind of a tradition. The bigger the bundle, the more the person supposedly loves you. I always found it quite silly." Rufus raised his eyebrows at her. He was getting better at reading her thoughts lately, she could tell. A silence followed with his expression. "Okay, I've never gotten flowers before. No one's ever sent them to me."

"Not even once?"

Tifa thought a moment. "Well there was this one time Cloud gave me a single flower before when I first saw him again after five years. But I think he just wanted to get rid of it." She didn't dare tell Rufus she pressed it between two pages of her blank journal, preserving it forever between wordless pages. She knew she'd never need to write anything to evoke memories of what the flower brought.

"If he wanted to get rid of it, he could've tossed it. But he gave it to you. That in itself can be a nice gesture."

Tifa smiled at Rufus who had a small on his own lips. Tifa blushed and kissed his cheek. Rufus looked surprised but did not comment. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I should go. I need to get started preparing for the rush." She paused, stood up and looked down on Rufus still on the couch, sipping his water. "I'll be busy the next couple of weeks, but...maybe I can...come back...?" Even though they had not had a romantic relationship, Tifa was starting to like the idea of their occasional meetings. She had someone with whom she could speak and confide. His presence, although intimidating, was comforting. He nodded.

"I'll be seeing you around, Tifa. I'll call on you again once the dust has cleared," he said.

Tifa turned heel and left. That was over a week ago, and she didn't speak to him since that meeting, not directly. But Tifa awoke that morning to one of the largest bouquets of roses, of all colors, that she'd ever seen. Cloud knocked at her door with his foot. She opened it and saw him holding the glass vase with both hands. "You must have made one customer happy," he said gleefully.

"Oh my, Cloud!" she said. "Who sent these?"

"I don't know, I didn't look at the card, and I just found them at the door step. Anyway, I've a lot more flowers to deliver today, I'll see you tonight." Cloud patted Tifa on the shoulder and left.

Tifa fingered the delicate petals of the roses as she heard Cloud's Fenrir speed off. She found the small white envelope with gold trim near the stems and plucked it off. She read it with shaky hands. _For you, Miss Tifa, whom I would love to have as a companion in the near future. Rufus Shinra,_ it read. It took several minutes for Tifa to absorb what this meant for him and her. She told Rufus for what flowers on this day were. She wanted to weep, to call Yuffie, to tell _someone_. But it would have to wait. Today was the infamous single awareness day and she needed to prepare. She went through the night shift with a happy demeanor. She was walking on air from the excitement of the prospect of being Rufus' girlfriend, even if only for this day, or whenever she saw him again. She would definitely call him the next day to thank him. Maybe even make time for him in the next week. But the disposition ebbed away as the night dragged on, knowing she'd have to tell Cloud.

As it happened, Cloud came in as the last of the patrons were leaving, signaling to Tifa that'd he'd be waiting on the roof. Tifa closed up, closed the tabs and cleaned a little bit, and followed him up there without even changing. He seemed so at ease, as if these brief moments of respite kept him sane. "How was your day?" Cloud began.

Tifa took a deep breath. "Fine. I imagine your day was the same as last year?"

"Yeah. I actually got to see Red, Cid and even Vincent. I don't know what it is, but seeing old friends doing so well kind of lifts you up, you know? Hey, did you ever find out who sent those roses?"

Tifa was silent for a moment. She looked at Cloud he was actually _smiling_. It was faint, but it was there. He was so at ease now, even after a shift that had to have gone for over eighteen hours. She bit her lip and sighed. "N-no. No I didn't."

"Hmph, guess the card didn't say anything huh?"

Tifa gave him a small smile and shook her head. She gently took her place beside Cloud as the two looked up at the sky. There weren't as many stars as there were in Nibelheim, but it was still beautiful. She listened to Cloud talk about the excursions of the day, all the while dreaming of Rufufs. Perhaps she'd tell Cloud tomorrow. Things were going to be complicated from this moment forward. She didn't want him to lose this moment of reprieve.


	10. Special Delivery

Hi folks,

Nice to see new updates! Keep the reviews and updates coming. And of course those prompts. Take care ya'll!

Prompt: Tifa finds herself in a dilemma when she is asked to make an emergency delivery. (May turn this into a multiple part piece)

Rating: M

* * *

Marlene and Denzel all but came flying through the door, waving fliers in their hands. "They're starting an athletic program at the school!" Denzel said cheerily, an almost foreign emotion he'd been exhibiting lately. "With uniforms and teams and everything!"

Marlene just jumped excitedly and clapped her hands. Tifa took the two identical fliers that listed the requirements and payments in order to join the program. She managed to hide her worry when she saw the exorbitant gil amount. Starting such an ambitious program from the ground up sure was expensive. "Can we join?" Marlene asked.

"I'll look it over," she said. "You kids go upstairs and start your homework."

They ran upstairs, per their daily ritual and Tifa could hear faint giggles and excited whispers about what team they wanted to join. It had been so long since they had something to look forward to. But the amount of money was out of the question. Business had been slow lately and Tifa and Cloud had spent much of the gil earned on their travels to help rebuild the community. From time to time Cloud would suggest they sell some of their mastered materia, which would fetch a small fortune for just one, but Tifa wouldn't hear of it. She didn't want to risk putting that kind of power into the wrong hands.

Still, this meant the world to the children. She wracked her brain thinking of what she could do to raise the money. The due date was only two weeks away and she couldn't think of any way to raise the cash. Not without selling the materia, or her body. She would have to discuss it with Cloud when he got home. She finished polishing the glasses and slicing the garnishes. It was a weeknight so she wasn't expecting it to be too busy. When early evening rolled around, she fed the children, helped them bathe and tucked them in bed. "You can stay up and read if you like but you are to go to sleep by nine."

The children knew the routine from last year, and answered her with a nod. Tifa went downstairs and opened the bar. It was seven at night and the customers came trickling in. Some came by to drop off packages for Cloud to deliver that week and Tifa had them fill out order slips. Many of them were across the sea, meaning that Cloud would probably be gone for at least three days. Tifa took to wiping the bar down since it was slow enough and tried to get closing activities finished as soon as possible.

It was nine thirty when a well dressed man entered holding a package. He was middle aged and Tifa could have swore that she had seen him before. "Need a delivery made?" she asked.

"Yes. miss, it is of utmost importance for the mayor," he said, placing the small package on the desk.

Now she knew who he was. He was the mayor's aide that she'd see at conferences and such. "Oh? Well we can probably have it done by tomorrow evening."

"Oh no, miss, this must be delivered as soon as possible for President Rufus Shinra. He requested the fastest, speediest delivery and has agreed to cover all monetary expenses and then some when it is done."

"So...you won't be paying up front?"

"I will pay the postage, but convenience fee will be paid by him, depending on when it is received."

"And how much might that be?"

"He suggested up to four thousand gil."

Tifa's jaw nearly hit the floor. That would cover the children's expenses and then some. She could actually put money into savings again. She handed him the slip and asked him to fill it out. She looked at the address carefully. It was at Healin' Lodge just outside of town, the new de facto Shinra Headquarters and the opposite direction of where Cloud was going. "We'll try and have it to him first thing in the morning."

The man smiled. "Thank you miss," he said. "I understand you two have quite a history. Or rather, you and your friends." Tifa almost forgot about how her failed execution was probably broadcast all over the world. "Glad we can put the past behind us and move forward. Please make sure it gets to him safely. It is of utmost importance."

"Must be if he's paying so much for it's quick delivery."

The man's smiled disappeared. "It was plucked from the estate of the late Don Corneo. He will expect the seal of the package to be intact." He turned and left. Certainly he didn't mean that she or Cloud would tamper with it? She didn't think it was _that_ important. Then her curiosity peaked. The man said it was from Don Corneo's estate. That old horn dog just reeked of degeneracy. What could Rufus want to spend so much money on to get this back into his hands? Was it some sort of sex tape? Something he filmed with some cheap harlot to get his rocks off? She held the weight of the box in her hand and gently shook it. It certainly could be. But then again it could just be some important legal documents or the like.

She shook her head and placed the box in the back for safe keeping. It's presence nagged her, even as her last customers left. It wasn't even eleven at night and the bar was empty. Left alone with her thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder that, if it was indeed a sex tape, what sort of debauchery would it show? Would he have the poor girl tied up, slapping her bottom? No, he'd probably be the one tied up and told he was worthless while he cried. Tifa shook her head again. Why was she having his thoughts? It probably wasn't even a tape like that at all but her mind kept wandering on as if it was. ' _I wonder what he'd look like naked.'_ She thought.

Tifa furiously scrubbed down the tables. She couldn't have these thoughts. Still she was all alone here, no one around. Why should she be ashamed? Rufus was attractive enough. She had seen pictures of him in the paper. He had beaten the illness that almost took Denzel and Cloud from her, and he came back looking as healthy as the day she saw him for the first time. As far as she knew, he never dated. Gossip columns were obviously trying to scrape the barrel to stir controversy, but Rufus was never seen in unprofessional company with other women.

So why not fantasize? She'd been so high strung lately. Cloud and she have been intimate after knocking back a few drinks, but when Cloud finished after no more than three minutes, he began to feel so self conscious Tifa didn't want to do that to him again. She still had her imagination. When alone, she'd think of Cloud, Vincent, and even Cid if she was feeling especially adventurous. Hell, she even got naughty and thought of Reno and Tseng. Reno she knew would come over to make her fantasy a reality, but she wasn't that kind of girl. Besides, Cloud would start breaking plates if she starting crawling into bed with Shinra.

When the clock struck midnight, she had already finished closing down the bar, and she immediately locked the door and turned off all the lights, turning in for the evening and grabbing the oh-so-special package to bring upstairs. She washed up and lay in bed. It was late enough and she tried to call Cloud. The phone rang twice, and Tifa was certain he probably wouldn't pick up. But she was surprised when he tiredly answered, "Hello?"

"Cloud! Are you still on the road? I thought you'd be back by now."

She could hear him yawn. "Change of plans. Storms in the west so I won't be back until tomorrow night."

Tifa bit her lip. "That might be a problem. You see the mayor's aide came by wanting a package delivered to Rufus Shinra as soon as possible. And he will probably pay through the nose for it's speedy delivery."

"Well it will just have to wait. We're doing fine, we don't need a lot of extra money now."

"No, Cloud, the kids want to join some expensive athletic program at the school, and it's due in two weeks. We need the money now."

"Well Shinra's shit out of luck then, unless you want to deliver it."

Tifa was taken aback. She didn't even think about that. She was asleep during the day save for when she got up to get the kids ready for school, after which she'd just fall back asleep until midday. "Can I? That won't seem untoward?"

"If Shinra wants it that bad, it'll have to be done by you."

"Yeah but...won't that be weird? I mean the last time I saw him he wanted me to be executed."

"Yes, and I almost threw him off his building the night he became President. Times have changed, Tifa. Just be professional, give him what he wants and then leave. It's quite simple."

"If you say so, Cloud."

She heard him yawn again. "Did the customer say what it was?"

"No, why would he?"

"Just curious. You'd think Shinra would have his own people get whatever is so important."

Tifa sat up in bed. "It was pulled from Don Corneo's estate. Do you think it's something incriminating?"

"You sound like me when I started delivering. But people have their own things they want delivered and it's best not to lose sleep over it. Don't think on it too much and just deliver it to the guy."

Cloud made it sound so easy. She wasn't used to being out of her element, going face to face with that white clad man. "I'll do it, Cloud."

"That's good. Well I'm going to go back to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow. Let me know how it goes."

Tifa hung up, but she wasn't able to find sleep easily. She made a mental note to go as soon as the kids left for school, which was early enough. It wouldn't take long to get to Healin' Lodge at that hour. Usually commuters went into Edge at that time, not out. She lay in bed thinking of how the encounter would go, drifting in and out of space between consciousness and sleep, so small and narrow that it became difficult to discern what was reality or not.

 _She put the tape in, not even thinking of how she got it out of the package undetected. She watched the fuzzy screen fade in from black, the luminous line of the old tape going up, repeatedly. Then he came into frame. There he was, looking behind the lens to make sure the camera was adjusted. He stepped back. He was completely nude save for a thin white sheet draped across his waist. Behind him, a voluptuous brunette sat on an elegant couch, beaconing to him. She was faceless; she herself not quite discerning what someone like her would look like._ "What about me?" _and in an instant her mind's eye put her face there. It was she on the couch, as Rufus strode to her, sitting next to her and gently pushing her hair away from her face._ "What would I be wearing in that situation?" _The same thing appeared on Tifa: a thin sheet draped along her hips, and her arms tastefully covering her bare chest as she supported herself up._

 _Rufus took both of her wrists as she turned on her back, her chest proud and pointed upward, while Rufus put them above her head. He leaned down and kissed her neck, her collar bone and then her face. She mewled._ "Would he he be so gentle?" _The fixed camera angle did not allow for close up expressions, but Tifa could see her eyes close as Rufus dipped down to her chest and pleased her with his mouth._ "Oh yes." _He went down further, peeling away the sheet and disappearing behind Tifa's leg. She could hear herself moan and claw at the delicate material of the couch, calling his name and begging him not to stop._

 _She shouted, then held her breath, then released. Rufus came up immediately and braced himself against her. But she wouldn't have that. She bolted up and pushed him down on the couch so that he was on his back. She tore the sheet away from his waist and mounted him._ "Would he really like that?" _He grabbed her breasts and shuddered._ "Yes, I would make him like it." _It felt so real. She could feel every inch of him inside of her. He gasped and bit his lip, completely lost to passion. Even from the slight distance of the camera, every motion and sound was clear. Up and up they climbed until there was a cry she hadn't ever imagined..._

She jolted up, feeling the aftershock of orgasm fade. The sleep fatigue resolved itself in the hazy dawn light seeping into her windows. She felt a slight dampness between her legs. _What_ was she thinking? The thoughts were her own but why would she think of Rufus of all people? She looked at the dresser on the other side of the room that housed the package. That damn thing, what the hell was in there?

The thoughts nagged at her brain. Would it be unprofessional to ask him? Of course it would! She decided to get the morning started for the kids, making the lunch and breakfast so that they'd be out as soon as possible. The sooner she could get them on their way, the sooner she could make the delivery and be done with this. She wanted to throttle that dumb mayor's aide. If he had just kept his mouth shut, putting ideas in her head, she wouldn't have these weird thoughts. She sigh as she beat the eggs. It wasn't his fault. It was her own wandering mind's fault.

The children ate their food and took their lunches out the door as Tifa saw them off. Though she slept, she wasn't rested and wanted to rush to Healin' Lodge as soon as possible. She came up to the place and tried to strengthen her resolve. This was for the children. She clutched the delivery slip and the package closely to her as she came to the receptionist desk. "I have a delivery for the President," she said nervously. "From the Strife Delivery Service."

"Oh a delivery," the young woman said. "We can take that here." He held her hand out.

Oh how she would've loved to just hand it to her and be done with it. But she had to do the right thing. "I'm sorry but per our policy, since the recipient is Mr. Shinra, he must sign for it."

The woman gave her a stern look. "Certainly you know how busy he is? The regular postal service would just drop it off here."

"Sorry our policy is different. This is of utmost importance from the Mayor of Edge, who said that the president requested the fastest delivery. So I'm here before even normal business hours."

The woman pursed her lips. "Very well, I'll buzz him." She put on her headset and pressed his designated button on the telephone. "Sir, a woman from the Strife Delivery Service is here. She insists that you sign for it, though I can take it here at the desk." Tifa heard mumbling from her line. She cleared her throat nervously. "Y-yes sir. I'll have her buzzed in immediately." She put the headset down and blushed furiously. "P-President Shrina will see you now. Go up the elevator to the top floor and straight through the hall. I'll allow you access."

Tifa smiled, satisfied. She took the elevator up to the top floor and walked down the plain corridor, lit harshly by fluorescent lights. The interior was a far cry from the sleek, modern interior of the old Shinra office building in Midgar. The once white paint was chipping in some places near the ceiling and turning slightly yellow with age. To her, this seemed like a slightly old office building that held multiple business or medical practitioners. But no, this was Shinra HQ for all intents and purposes. What a fall from grace. The walk seemed so long. Maybe it was the fatigue or the stress, but Tifa tried to steel herself and put up a composed front.

She came up to the door with a small metal plate on the door that read President Rufus Shinra. She knocked softly and heard his sharp voice call her in. She opened the door immediately and saw him at his desk, all but buried in paperwork. He looked up to see her.

"Strife too busy to make it out?" he asked cooly.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. But the mayor's aide was quite adamant that I get this to you as soon as possible. So...please sign here." Tifa pulled the confirmation slip from her pocket and handed it to him. He flicked a loose strand of his blond hair to the side and signed.

"Finally something I was looking forward to sign," he said. Tifa giggled nervously, not wanting to offend him. He turned his face up toward her, the familiar piercing blue gaze she thought she'd never see again. "No need to flatter me, Ms. Strife."

Tifa bit her lip. "Oh no, Cloud and I aren't...we never..."

He merely smiled in return. "My mistake," he said as he handed the paper back to her. "Now if you can wait just a moment, I want to make sure nothing was damaged."

Tifa stiffened and immediately turned back to face him. Not that it was any of her business, but if he was really going to check the contents, she wouldn't mind having her curiosity satisfied at the same time. Rufus took a pair of scissors out of his desk and cut the brown tape. He pulled back the flaps and dug his hand into the loose packing peanuts and pulled out a small, worn leather bound book, closed tight by a small belt-like clasp. "Wow it's held up wonderfully," he said mostly to himself.

"Pardon me?" Tifa couldn't help but wonder why Rufus would put so much urgency into a book.

His eyes went back to Tifa. "Oh, nothing. This is just an old diary I used to keep when I was a child. It must have gotten lost when I moved to Midgar. It somehow fell in to the Don's hands and was discovered in Wutai recently. I thought I'd never see it again. Thank you for speedy delivery. I suppose compensation is in order then." He pulled out a small check book and began writing. "I believe five thousand sounds fair." He looked up to her once again and she nodded and smiled, hardly containing her elation as he handed it to her.

"Thank you sir. I'm glad you got your old journal back." Tifa felt so giddy about the prospect of the children's happiness she didn't mind her words. "I thought it was a sex tape," she half giggled and then turned to stone as soon as she said it, blood draining from her cheeks. The expression on Rufus' face was an odd mix of surprise, shock and repulsion.

"Why on earth would I have something like that?"

"I...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..." Tifa then felt her cheeks get hot she turned around to fiddle with the doorknob. "Please don't tell Cloud," she said quickly, not looking at him and running out the door as soon as she had it open.

Rufus heard her loud footsteps echo down the hall and gave a small laugh. As if he'd ever let someone film him in such a way. Where did she get such an idea? Did _she_ dabble in that sort of thing? The thought intrigued him. Maybe he'd think on it more later when he lay down in bed tonight.


	11. Single Riders Only

Hi folks! I went to Disneyland the other day (I celebrated my first year of marriage woo!) and it inspired me to write this. Yeah. This has a connection with a previous chapter of this anthology. Read on to find out which. Love you guys! ~Zeldafreak701

Prompt: Tifa tries her best to wiggle her way around the Gold Saucer unseen, but things don't go as planned.

Rating: T

* * *

Although she knew about the date for a while now, and continually told herself that it didn't bother her, Tifa was still agitated when Aerith came in and all but pushed Cloud out the door, past Tifa who gave them a fake smile. Secretly she was hoping Aerith would forget about it. It had seemed like such a long time ago since it was mentioned. But no, she made sure to get Cloud right where she wanted him. She sulked at the fact that even if Aerith _had_ forgotten, Tifa wouldn't have the confidence to ask him herself. She looked out the window of the Ghost Hotel and saw the lights dance about down below.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she excitedly turned around, but was slightly disappointed to see that it was only Yuffie. "Hey Tif! You're coming down with us right?" the young ninja asked excitedly.

"Us?" Tifa asked.

"The guys and I are going out for Enchantment Night. We're going to see the races, go to the shows and play all the games!" Yuffie shouted. She definitely was a teenager.

"O-okay. Sure."

She reluctantly followed the group down, all of them talking about what they wanted to do first. After making it to the first floor, Tifa perked up. She wasn't going to be down because her two adult friends decided to go out and enjoy each other's company. She found herself smiling when the group, sans Cloud and Aerith, started at the Arcade. Cid wanted to kick at the snowboard game that kept tossing him, Barret was engrossed in a shooting game, Yuffie was having fun with the punching bag and Red was pawing at the whack-a-mole style game while Vincent watched silently. Tifa tried her hand at the claw machine and, in her concentration, forgot all of the troubles that plagued her a few minutes earlier. With great effort, and more gil she wanted to admit to spending, she managed to win a small chocobo doll with a keychain attachment.

She pocket her useless bounty when she saw Yuffie jump up, waving her phone in the air, and shout to her friends amidst the arcade noise: "Guys! Cloud and Aerith are going to be in the dragon show! We have to see this!"

Everyone excitedly tore themselves away from their activities, intrigued with the idea of Cloud being on stage. Everyone was able to get seats relatively close to the front to the stage. Cloud was clearly wasn't into it and Aerith huffed but played along. Cloud's unenthused attitude did little to dampen the crowd's mood, and everyone laughed and cheered for the 'knight.' When it was all over, the group all stood up and clapped. They greeted the two of them off stage.

"You guys are so dorky!" said Yuffie.

"I'd rule out a career as an actor, kid," said Cid.

"Oh Cid," said Aerith, "Cloud is handsome enough to be a stage actor. And that was fun wasn't it?"

Cloud nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah I guess it was fun."

Before anyone could say anything further, Aerith said, "Well we'll see you guys back at the room. Cloud and I are still on our date you know."

Everyone waved them off. As Aerith put her arm through Cloud's, Tifa heard her say to him, "Let's go to the gondola next."

Everyone in the group discussed going on the roller coaster next. "Come on, Tifa, let's go," said Yuffie.

Tifa bit her lip. "I'll catch up soon. I just remembered I left something in my room. I'll be right back!" she turned and ran up the stairs and out the door, different from the one which Cloud and Aerith exited. She didn't know what the hell she was doing. It was wrong to spy on the two of them, but Tifa wanted to know how their date was going. She spotted Cloud's spiky hair in the crowed and followed a good distance behind them, making sure not to be seen. She followed them to the gondola line. She meant to leave as soon as they got in line, but unfortunately found herself sandwiched between eager rider couples and was forced to wait in line. She wanted to say she changed her mind, but she wasn't that far from Cloud and Aerith, only four people stood between them, and she could hear bits of their conversation. She decided to stay.

The line moved quickly enough, there were two different lines, each leading to their own loading station several yards apart. Cloud and Aerith didn't turn around even once. Tifa listened as Aerith talked mostly about herself, Cloud being the more reserved type she remembered so well. She talked about her flower business and how Shinra had a strange interest in her since she was young. Tifa felt like a loser the entire time. Here she was eavesdropping on her friends' date, for no particular reason other than her own insecurities, and to top it all off she was alone amidst couples who were fawning over each other. She heard them talk about their plans to see the world together, and reminisce about their first kisses and how they met. Each time she heard a romantic story she wanted to crawl in a hole and hide from the world forever. But she felt invisible enough already.

They began nearing the gondola ride and saw Aerith and Cloud get on and take off out of sight. _"She's probably going to kiss him when then fireworks go off,"_ she thought. She had dreamed of Cloud being her first kiss once upon a time. But that opportunity was long gone, all thanks to...

"How many?" the guy operating the ride asked again. Tifa jolted up. She was at the front of the line, face to face with a frazzled worker.

"Oh uh...just one."

"Just _one_?" he asked. He turned to the other loading station and shouted to the attendant a few yards away, pointing at her, "We have a single rider here!" The worker in the distance gave him a thumbs up and the attendant turned back to her. "Just wait and we'll get you paired up." Tifa flushed bright red, suddenly feeling so many eyes on her. So much for being invisible. She wanted to deck the jerk for calling attention to herself. Why couldn't they just let her ride alone? Before she could answer, the gondola appeared in front of her, door open, with only darkness inside. "There you go," the worker aggressively waved her in.

She didn't want to argue, having already been humiliated in front of a bunch of strangers, seeing her crush go off with her new friend and being alone when she could've spent time with friends. She decided she would just get it over with and make a beeline back to the hotel room after this was over. She jumped in and hastily shut the door behind her, taking a seat, burying her face in her hands and letting out a muffled, frustrated scream behind her clenched teeth into her palms.

After a few seconds to recollect herself, the ride began to move from it's dark resting spot, into a more well lit altitude. The streaks of light shined inside the dark interior and Tifa looked up to glimpse the poor person that had to see her in such a state. The thin light streaks started from the top and swiftly moved to the bottom,disappearing behind the wooden wall, in quick strokes, not fully illuminating his face. Tifa eyed him up and down, the ever familiar white coat and piercing blue eyes...the image invaded her mind like claws seeping into her memory.

The gondola finally reached a height where the whole cabin was dimly lit at once, "Bad day?" he said at that very instant. Tifa saw the young president's face staring back her, arms folded.

"AHH!" Tifa screamed, sitting all the way back in the chair. Her eyes darted back and forth about the interior of the cabin. She tried to open the door hatch, but it was locked. She looked over the sill of the open window. They were so _high_. This all happened in a matter of seconds until Tifa assumed a defensive stance: Her arms were folded across her chest. "Wh-what're you doing here?"

Rufus hadn't moved an inch and watched Tifa's quick movements with an amused expression. "Enjoying the view," he said, eyeing her up and down, a smirk curled on his lips. His face had healed since his skirmish with Cloud.

Tifa knew he wasn't talking about the Gold Saucer. Tifa felt his gaze on her and she felt so exposed and vulnerable. Her skirt felt shorter, her cheeks felt hot and her breasts felt heavier. She tightened her closed legs to hide their shaking. The images came back to her in still flashes. His shotgun pointing in her face. His arm on her shoulder. His devilish smirk. His kiss. _His kiss!_ _How_ dare _he?_ She just _had_ to follow Cloud and Aerith! This was the absolute last place she wanted to be. "You-you bastard!" was all she could say.

Rufus laughed as he slowly shook his head. "Such fowl language. Though I can't expect much coming from the mouth AVALANCHE scum."

Tifa frowned and exhaled hard through her nose. They were alone. What happened was between them. "But you kissed this mouth," she replied disdainfully. "Why?"

"Because I could," he said simply.

 _Because he_ COULD _?_ She wanted to lunge at him but remembered he could be armed and stopped herself. What was he going to do with her now? What was he even doing here? She decided to keep him talking, keep him distracted so he couldn't call for back up until the ride stopped and she could make a break for it, warn the other too. "Don't they know who you are? How do you walk about so freely? Your face was all over the news during that saccharine parade back in Junon!"

Rufus unfolded his legs and switched their positions. "Well aren't you inquisitive, miss foul mouth?"

"Answer me!" Tifa bit out.

Rufus sighed but still held his playful expression. "My face and style are all over the place. There's tons of imitators. Me, alone, at the Gold Saucer on this night of nights, no bodyguards near proximity? It's easy to pass off as a fake."

"A likely story, I guess. But foolish."

"No, what's foolish is that you think you're hiding how scared you are and that you can distract me with your motor mouth."

"What's with your fixation of my mouth?" She stomped her foot. He only gave her a hard stare in return, but still held that arrogant smirk; the same smirk that his bloody face greeted her with that fateful night. "I'm not scared of you, Shinra."

"Is that why you're huddled up like a pretzel and shaking like a leaf?"

Tifa looked down and saw that she was indeed still in her scared, huddled pose. She relaxed more and forced her clenched hands on either side of her, still holding her legs tightly together. "You're up to something. You wouldn't be here for no reason."

He tilted his head, "And you would be?"

Tifa bit her lip. "Mind your own business." She looked away toward the opening in the cabin, letting in the exploding lights for their view.

Rufus laughed. He uncrossed his legs and leaned on his elbows, closer to Tifa's face. The interior of these cabins sure were small! His attitude then turned serious and the smirk was no longer visible. "Your business _is_ my business. You best think twice before trying to cross me."

Tifa felt a shift in her demeanor. For some reason, seeing Rufus not have the same facade of playful arrogance he displayed when he kissed her, she felt a fire spark in front of her. "Oh? Or you'll what? You'll crush my home?" She looked him in the eyes. "You'll try to steal my friend's plane?" His nostrils flared. She stood up slowly as she said, "Or maybe you'll point a gun to my face and steal a kiss from me." Rufus held her gaze as she moved up from her seat. The cabin ceiling was too low for her to stand up straight but it did little to deter her. Her aggressive stance would surely warrant him drawing any weapon he held on his person, but he didn't. Tifa then knew that he probably didn't have one. There was also a wonderful sense of power that she felt, knowing she was able to keep him still with just a few words. She wondered how far she could take this. There would never be an opportunity like this again. She was done being humiliated.

She leaned over him, and to her delight, Rufus drew back slightly. The closer she moved, the further back he leaned. She leaned forward enough to place her palms on the seat in between his legs. Despite the dramatic shift in power play experienced in the small place, Rufus still tried to hold his ground. Tifa leaned in so close they shared breath. She was not feeling herself. Somewhere in her mind, she wanted to still make a leap out of the window. "That's right, Shinra, you can try and take us down as much as you want...but we'll keep coming back." She stopped leaning in. "Every time." Tifa let a smile tug on the side of her lip.

A slight jolt shook the entire cabin, signaling that it had made its round. Tifa pulled away slowly and turned to the door, which opened with perfect timing, to step off the landing. Tifa walked hastily to disappear into the crowd in a daze. She didn't realize how fast her heart was pounding or how sweaty her palms were. She felt so exhilarated but she couldn't dwell on that now. Shinra was here and she needed to find her friends, fast.

* * *

He watched her get away. He couldn't believe he _let_ her get away, but he sat still in his seat, glancing at the spot which she sat and the remnant she left behind. He stepped off a few moments after her, too late to see where she went. Reno approached him then, blending in with the crowd with his usual unkempt clothing. "Yo boss, hope you enjoyed your break. Tseng told me the informant has acted," he said. He saw his boss was still looking off into the crowd. "Do you want me to go get her?"

Rufus shook his head and then looked at Reno, twirling the chocobo keychain on his finger until he stopped and looked at it in his palm. "Not necessary. They'll come to us soon enough," he said, crushing it in his hand.


End file.
